


EGO-typical 2

by Tabbynerdicat



Series: EGO-typical [3]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: F/M, M/M, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-08-03 10:50:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 27
Words: 104,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16324838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tabbynerdicat/pseuds/Tabbynerdicat
Summary: After chasing Anti back to the void, Dark finds that he can't return alongside him. The mirrors that let him travel between dimensions shatter when he looks at them, and he doesn't know why.Sometimes it's impossible to embrace the present without accepting your past. Will Dark ever see beyond who he once was and reflect upon his mistakes? Or will the order of the void fall into ruin while he's trapped in the mortal realm?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to EGO-typical 2! I hope you have a good time reading about my favourite ego bois <3

**~Groundlands~**

"So you're telling me that my mirror just decided to spontaneously  _break_ before you had the chance to go back to... wherever it is you live?"

It was well into the night and Seán had lost count of how many drinks he'd poured. Dark, it seemed, could go on forever. Seán supposed that being an ego, he didn't have to worry about watching his alcohol, but the human knew that he hadn't poured himself a glass for at least an hour. He didn't know if he should be worried or not, but as he placed yet another empty bottle beside the table, he felt that even  _this_ was a little excessive. And that was coming from an Irishman of all people.

"I must have had an effect on it, I just can't imagine what," Dark grimaced in frustration, looking like he could break the table at any moment. "It's like nothing I've ever experienced before!"

"Well, do mirrors usually break when you look at them?" Seán asked, warily eyeing Dark. His movements seemed to be growing even more erratic as the night progressed. From what he'd seen, Dark was an elegant and diplomatic man. Was it possible that the ego was secretly an angry drunk?

"No," Dark replied, breathing shakily. "Not since... well,  _that_ matter isn't important-"

"Isn't it?" Seán pressured. Anything that could help him figure out what was going on would be useful, but Dark shook his head defensively at the human.

"I have been able to look into mirrors without any problems for the last eighty-three years, Seán. Whatever caused this to happen this time is recent, I assure you."

Seán was silent for a moment. He blinked a few times, trying to comprehend the weight of this statement. Eighty three  _years_? And considering the last time this had happened was sometime in his adult life... "Wait... how old  _are_ you, exactly?"

Dark silently tipped back his glass, relishing in the way his head had begun to pound. He of course was a demon, and in the Void he didn't feel any lasting effects from alcohol but here in a human body, he could feel every bit of it coursing through him. Not that he allowed himself to drink in the void. He did have responsibilities, after all.

 _'Responsibilities, hah...'_   a voice seemed to snort inside Dark's mind. He chose to ignore it.

He was almost nostalgic for his days spent as a human. But then, considering all of the pain that had come from them, it was wise to forget they had even occurred.

"I am not defined by an age," Dark answered grimly. "While it is not relevant to this topic, I'll tell you that I lived through the First World War, but some of my components are in fact eternal."

Seán was quiet. He sighed and poured himself his first shot in a while, tipping it down and shaking his head as the bitterness hit him.

"Today keeps getting weirder and weirder..."

"I'm sorry," Dark muttered. "The fault is mine, and now I've got to intrude on your personal life... I'm deeply regretful that I've imposed this upon you, especially on such short notice."

"Shit man, I can't even talk normally when I'm drunk," Seán groaned, Dark's words slurring together as his mind tried to process them. "We'll mull this over in the morning... afternoon? Crap, it's 2AM Dark. I'll fix up a place for you to sleep..."

Dark was about to intercede, but Seán held up his hand. "No, I won't have you trying to out-gentleman me in my own home. Stay here and don't touch any more mirrors, I'll be back soon."

Dark sighed in defeat and looked down at the glass in his hand. He could refill it, but he felt as though he'd drunk enough tonight. 

 _'This is highly unprofessional,'_  he found himself thinking. ' _Why must we do this, anyway?'_

_'We're allowed a little fun, Damien! It's the least we deserve after dealing with the other egos all the time. You never let us relax, just let us have this, please...'_

Dark suddenly pressed his hands to his temples, pushing the glass aside as he snarled. His eyes rolled and became black as pitch, his skin paling even further. " **If you two don't cease your yapping I will not hesitate to remove you from this body. Understood?** "

_'You very obviously need us, so I'm inclined to believe that this is a bold-faced lie.'_

_ 'Damien-!' _

_'Celine, for once, please hold your tongue-'_

_ 'For what? It's been eighty-three years, Damien, and we aren't going anywhere! The least we could do is have some kind of leisure,' _

Dark's movements stiffened and he stood, walking over to the sink. Why did it always have to come to this? He picked up a knife from the already incomplete set and held it to his wrist, smirking to himself as the voices instantly quelled in fear. But it was too late. The demon inside may have been unable to feel pain, but the other inhabitants of this form certainly could, and sometimes he had to remind them who was really in control here.

Sometimes, they needed to learn to  _listen_  when he was speaking.

_'You're sick,'_

_ 'Damien, no!' _

The demon responded by dragging the small blade purposefully across his arm, spattering dark blood into the basin and taking pleasure in hearing the cries and grunts of the souls trapped within. He didn't allow his hand to instinctively fly to his arm, and simply stood there watching as the wound was sealed before his eyes. It was a pity that the scars never formed. It only made every reminder hurt more than the last.

_ 'I can't believe you, Damien. You knew this would happen, and you kept on talking-' _

Dark felt himself cry involuntarily, scowling. Did these humans have nothing better to do with their time than to weep? What was it to Damien that Celine no longer cared for him? After over a century of living together, the siblings should probably have turned on each other long before.

_'Celine, you've changed. I... I don't know what else to say.'_

Dark then felt his hand raise the knife again, slicing once, twice more across his arm. He shook his sleeve over the already healing wounds, rinsing the knife of any residue in the sink. It simply wouldn't do for Seán to notice he had been harming himself. Besides, the two souls who inhabited this body alongside the demon had learned their lesson, for now.

Dark didn't flinch as Seán's footsteps sounded, the human entering the room once more.

"I'm back, I've got the spare room organised for you," Seán said, somehow not noticing the smell of blood over the overwhelming stench of alcohol in the room. Perhaps that was the demon's doing. He'd always had a knack for obscuring the truth in unlikely circumstances...

Dark straightened his tie, his blue aura strengthening as he sighed in a slight amount of pain.

"Thank you, Seán." He said quietly and politely. "If it's alright with you, I'll... I'll go now. Please, wake me whenever you see fit."

The man left the room, and Seán noticed there was something... off about the air. It seemed more tense in here than before, but then, Seán was decently intoxicated. He didn't really trust himself to make a judgement on the situation when he was like this.

He gathered the glasses and put them in the sink, moving a suspiciously wet knife aside to wash them. When had this been used? Seán hadn't made dinner tonight, and even then, a paring knife? Seán didn't think he'd ever  _actually_ used this thing.

He shook his head and threw it into a bag with the rest of its set. He would have to go out and buy more, but now, he didn't think he could sleep in the same house as the things after what had unfolded earlier. It was hard to think that it was only early afternoon when he'd 'woken'- so many things had happened since that it was making his brain hurt trying to comprehend them.

He rinsed out the glasses and left them to dry, wondering if he should wait until the following morning to reply to everyone's texts. Perhaps, considering how drunk he was, that was a good idea.

It wouldn't be very reassuring to his friends if the first text he'd sent in days was filled with bad grammar and hastily spilled truths, he figured.

As he walked past his bathroom, he reluctantly left the light on. He had cleared the room of all the noticeable shards but he was still wary to walk in there barefoot. And in his current state, he didn't think he'd remember to put on shoes before entering the place. The room looked... tainted, somehow, without the mirror there. All he could see now was a blank wall.

Seán shuddered and continued down the hallway. He could see dry blood on the floor, and knew it was from his nosebleed the other day. Anti wouldn't have waited before leaving, anyway. He shouldn't be worried.

But  _fuck_ , he was worried.

He had an ego staying with him- a being that shouldn't even be able to exist, but was somehow material enough that he shattered Seán's mirror without any plausible explanation. Not only that, the ego looked  _exactly_  like Mark, and if anybody saw him they'd just assume Mark was here with him. He didn't know if he was more scared for his own reputation or Mark's.

_Crap... Mark..._

Mark didn't know anything about this.

Seán took his phone from the charger and carried it to his room, which felt unnaturally cold. Scowling, he closed his windows and pulled the blinds shut. He had to wonder why none of the neighbours had questioned why his lights had been on, or his windows opened, or his door left slightly ajar.

He quickly rang Mark's number, waiting a few moments before the man answered him.

"Seán, why are you awake? It's gotta be, what, 3AM for you?"

Seán sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. Where to even begin?  

"I... okay, so hear me out. I know this is gonna sound really weird, but... I figured out of anyone, you have the right to know what's going on..."

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

As soon as Dark entered the spare room, he closed the door and turned off the lights. He stood there shakily for a few moments, trying not to rub at his wrist despite the body's signals telling him it was itchy.

He knew there were wounds there that if disturbed, would only feel worse tomorrow. Sadly, this was something he'd learned over a long period of time, with many,  _many_  lapses of his judgment...

_ 'This bed looks tacky,' _

"Celine, please..." Dark sighed, sitting on the bed and removing his outermost clothing. The last time he'd been unfortunate enough to sleep while still fully clothed, he found that he'd almost been strangled in his unconscious state. Not that he found himself sleeping a lot, anyway...

**'If I'd known you two were going to be this bothersome, I'd have stayed in that cursed place,'**

Dark humphed as he lay back, already feeling tired. It was amazing the effect alcohol had on the human body. He definitely knew that Celine had missed it. Damien too, though the mayor had less of an inclination to admit the fact.

"You'd have done us both a favour," Dark mused, kicking his shoes off and tucking himself under the covers. "Given the chance, you wouldn't have stayed. I'm not a fool."

The demon chuckled, and Dark realised that his own lips were moving along. It wasn't in his head at all.

He threw the blanket over his eyes, wondering if he could suffocate an already deceased body. He sighed to himself as he brushed his hair from his face, already knowing the answer.

_'No... Already tried that...'_

_ 'You don't have to spend every moment thinking of new ways to kill yourself, Damien.' _

_'You didn't have to spend every moment thinking of how to get in William's pants but here. We. Are.'_

Dark could feel the tears prickling at the side of his eyes before they came, wetting the pillow and making the bed feel even more uncomfortable. The being didn't even know whose tears they were. He could feel Celine's anguish, but also Damien's remorse for his actions. Yet both were far too stubborn to admit their own weakness and resolve the situation themselves.

The demon groaned heavily, suppressing both souls to the point where it could no longer hear their ridiculous mortal worries.  **"You two are absolutely pathetic..."** it grimaced, urging its stolen body to sleep. Perhaps the next day, they would find it in their pitiful selves to behave. If not, well... you can't kill a corpse with blood loss.


	2. Chapter 1

**~Void~**

Halter peered curiously around Anti's house, taking in the odd little features that stood out to him. A broken panel here, a crack in the plaster there... He didn't know what he'd expected, but... this was not it.

The fusion had to duck through the doorway of the small suburban looking home, and proceeded to follow Anti closely down a long hallway that led to a single room. It was very dim and there was only one window, but it all looked meticulously well kept.

It seemed that Anti didn't care much about his external appearance, as long as he knew he was clean on the inside. Halter had to wonder if that was some kind of metaphor... he couldn't suppress the nagging thought that Anti was a serial killer, and this was merely his lair. He supposed that was his inner Dan talking...

The room was small and barely furnished. A television hung on the wall and a desk was filled with clutter that was too far away to investigate. Halter didn't want to pry, anyway. He was still reeling with confusion, but he supposed he owed something to Anti. He was the first person Halter had known who had been honest to him, after all.

Anti had shut the door behind them, but he wasn't trying to be intimidating. He grabbed a stray cloth that hung on a hook in the hallway to dab at the small drips of blood spilling from his neck, as if it was a daily struggle. Perhaps it was.

Halter felt like he was in no position to judge.

Anti was standing in the room alongside him, looking him up and down. Something akin to recognition was in his eyes as he finally spoke.

"You're Dan and Phil's fusion," he stated.

Halter tensed, unsure how to respond to this. Was it obvious? Should he be worried? Did Anti like them or hate them? How did Anti know them at all?

Anti chuckled, waving him off, apparently amused at Halter's antics. "Relax, buddy. Just a thought."

Halter breathed a small sigh of relief. "I... yeah, I am."

"Interesting..." Anti mused, tapping his knife to his chin. He was leaving small marks all across his face that were seeping red into his beard. Halter was amazed to see that he wasn't flinching at all. Just how used to pain  _was_ he?

"It is?" Halter asked worriedly. Oh God, what if the others here hated his creators? That must be it- why else would Anti be acting this way?

"It is," Anti affirmed, frowning a little as he realised they were still standing. He smirked. "Ha, silly me! I'll get something for you to sit on..."

Anti closed his eyes and Halter blinked, stepping harshly away from the large sofa that now sat in the centre of the room. It looked about as tall as Anti was- certainly oversized for a normal human, but what concerned Halter the most was that it had appeared seemingly from thin air.

_That's not possible... right?!_

"H-how did you..." Halter trailed off. Anti looked at him curiously.

"Wow... you really  _did_ just get here, huh? In the void, we... egos, we can manipulate our surroundings to produce objects, foods, drinks, houses. You can do the same things I can, if you learn how. Don't be so surprised, really, it's nothing..."

Halter tested the sofa, sitting carefully on it. If he stood too harshly, he'd hit his head on the ceiling, but for now it was perfect. Halter looked expectantly at Anti, who didn't look like he was going to take a seat with the fusion. The ego seemed to be deep in thought, puzzled. The cuts on his face had all healed up, leaving only flecks of red to betray them.

_That was weird..._

Halter was about to ask why he was so reluctant to sit, but stopped himself. Something inside him knew about tact and how to apply it. Anti might get offended if he said the wrong thing, and he really didn't want to lose the first friend he'd made so early.

Instead, he decided to ask the next most logical question.

"Um... why didn't you already have a sofa, if you don't mind me asking?" Halter questioned timidly. Anti raised an eyebrow. It was as if nobody had asked him anything in a long while.

"To tell you the truth..." Anti sighed. "I... just got back from an... outing. I haven't had time to refurnish everything around here, and... frankly, I don't use furniture much anyways, so..."

Halter nodded, not understanding any of it. It just made him feel even more awkward and alone here, new in this hellish Void.

Anti noticed that the fusion was uncomfortable. He knew he should take delight from the suffering of others, but... Anti couldn't bring himself to do it. Not to someone as new and innocent as Phan, who hadn't done him any wrong, unlike the others that he pestered so.

 _Halter_ , he reminded himself. Anti was always a firm believer that you didn't have to be what your creators made you to be. And even if that was as simple as a name change, Anti would support Halter through it. How could he not, when he was living the truth of those words every day?

_Good God... when did you become so we̡̢̕a͢k̢?_

Anti ignored the voice that sneered in his mind as he replayed the earlier scene. The way Halter had been so surprised when Anti had summoned the couch for him, as if he thought Anti wouldn't accommodate for his needs. As if he thought Anti wouldn't go out of his own way to think of him. But of  _course_ Anti would.

_No, it must have been surprise at seeing something summoned at all._

Anti didn't want to believe that he'd manipulated Halter to the point where he thought he was worthless. That had been the opposite of his goals- yes, he'd felt very upset at not having justice and may have gone on a small rant, but... surely he wasn't the one to have beaten down the fusion's sense of self.

_Who else was around, Anti? You're d̵e̷l̷̕̕u̷d̡̢i͏̷ng͝ ͞yo͏͞u͢͏r̡̨s̴͠e̷҉l͜f͏. All you ever do is cause s͠u̡f̴͞͞f͢e̶r͠͡i͏n͞g̶͘, you might as well admit it..._

Anti gritted his teeth, subconsciously letting his knife dig into the skin of his forearm as he held it at his side. The pain didn't sting as sweetly as it used to.

"Do you want to come sit?" Halter offered, patting the space beside him. Anti sighed and decided he may as well humour himself. If he was really destined to be a disappointment to everyone, it would happen eventually anyway. He may as well comply with the strange request. It had been so long since Anti's presence had been welcomed that he'd almost forgotten how it felt to be cared about...

_He doesn't care about you, y̴͝o̡u̷ ̶mo͘͝ro͢n. He only just met you, he's just being polite. If he knew what you rȩa͢l͠l͢y͜ ̛w͡e̢͠re͘, he'd abandon you just like e̢͢ve̶ry̸͡͏o̷n̢e̸ ͢͞e̢͞ls̡͜͞e͝..._

He hoisted himself up onto the higher than average sofa, feeling a wash of calm air over him. His melancholy thoughts could wait, for now.

 _Halter must be making oxygen_ , Anti noted.  _Perhaps he doesn't realise he doesn't need it here._

"The others," Halter started. "The other... egos. The ones that don't like fusions. Do they come here often?"

Anti looked carefully down at his hands. If anything was false about his earlier conversation with Halter, it was him saying that the others all disliked fusions. Of course they didn't. To some degree, Septiplier's height made everyone uncomfortable, and it was a little weird seeing someone with two pairs of arms and eyes walking over to you. The main reason nobody bothered with Septiplier anymore was that he never left his room, but even then... Anti supposed none of the other egos were actively helping him through his obvious depression.

_If he hasn't killed himself already..._

"No," Anti said truthfully, because  _as if_  they'd ever set foot here after what transpired between them. "No, we... disagree on certain matters. They stay far away from me, and I... well, I go wherever the hell I want." Anti shrugged.

Halter visibly relaxed, and Anti briefly wondered if he was doing the right thing. It wasn't something he often thought about, true, but ever since his falling out with his brothers, his morals had been pushed aside. He hadn't allowed himself to think about anything but revenge in a long while, but  _now_...

"Do you think..." Halter started. Anti noticed that two of his hands were rubbing together almost nervously. "Maybe I could... build a house next to yours? I mean, only if you want, it's just... I'm not very... good with people, so-"

"You talk a lot," Anti noted, watching Halter flush in embarrassment. The glitchy ego shrugged and allowed himself to lean into the sofa. It had been far too long since he'd had any company, and he may as well make the most of it before Halter turned tail. As much as he'd like to deny it, it was sure to happen eventually.

"It's all free real estate here, you're welcome to build what you want," Anti shrugged. "I'd suggest you wait awhile until you get used to the idea of being an ego, though. When it comes to the measure of our abilities, it depends on just how many people in the Groundlands think of us, and... well, some of us aren't quite strong enough to make entire houses of our own, if you get what I mean."

"But you can," Halter said. "So you... have a following in the Groundlands, then?"

Anti hummed gently. "You could say that. I'm actually... one of the most popular, so to speak."

Halter's four eyes widened, and Anti waved him off before he could speak. "I'm not special. It's for all the wrong reasons, and I'd rather not go into it."

Halter paused for a moment, before closing his mouth and sighing. "Right..."

Anti shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said, wondering what had come over him. A sense of peace, clarity... the voice in his mind hadn't troubled him in a while. He hadn't apologised for anything in what seemed to be years.

He guessed he hadn't been sorry for anything in years.

"No, no, it's fine," Halter insisted. "I... I know, sometimes people don't like talking about things, I... Dan was the same.  _Is_  the same, I guess."

Anti smiled. "Ah, yes. Dan..."

Anti couldn't help but remember the terrified look on the human's face yesterday, when he'd plunged his knife deep into Dan's stomach. The red had spilled over his hand and onto the floor, and the flow of crimson didn't stop there as the man's eyes rolled back and he slumped to the ground.

With a start, Anti realised he didn't know if Dan was even still alive.

_Of course he's alive, you i̷d̴͝͠io̵̧̡t̶͟. How else would Phan be here? For your only pur̡p̧͢ose͜͟ being to ķ̶i҉҉͢ll͟ ̴͢͠p̢͝eǫp̵͘͝l̡̕e̵͡ you seem to be doing a really bad job of it._

_What would Halter say if he knew w̸̧̕h̢a̴̛͠t̛ y̴o͡͡u͟'d͡҉ ҉͞d҉͡o͠n͏͏e͢͏?_

_What would he think of y̡̛͘o̶͡u҉̷?_

_You're a̭̼͉͝ ̧̛̫̟̕m̷̦͓o̢͏͎̩̤͖͍n̲̥̻̙̬̭̼ṣ̛̞͈͇t͕̭̪͉͉͘͟͞e̛̲͓͞r̙̱̣̗̣̣̣͢._

_C̸̪͔̱̪͚͎r̖̠̗̭̫̕a̞̻̠͚͘z͕̭̩͕̺ͅͅy̷̙̪̞̤͚̖͜._

_A p̨̞͍͔̹͙̣̬ͅs̩̼̮̫̮̱͍͔̕y̲͔̩͎̭̭͚̫͘͘c͏̩̦͓̱̰͓͘h̡̩̥̬͓̲͎̕ͅo̮̟̺̖p̵̲̜̯̻͎a̡̧̭̮̫̗t҉̟͚̻h̬̳̟̘͍͚̩͕̕͡._

Anti gritted his teeth as the television fell to the ground with a crash, the glass splintering across the ground. Halter jumped, lifting his knees to his chest and staring with wide eyes at the destruction before him.

"Fuck," Anti growled, getting up from the couch. "Shit, damn it. Are you hurt?"

_W̸ea̶k̛._

Halter shook his head, still trembling even as his four hands tried to steady him. "I... I'm just a bit shocked, that's all."

Anti sighed, running his fingers through his hair and pulling away green strands. Sometimes the ego forgot his hair shone such a bright, septic green. Other times, it was hard to think of anything else.

"I... I think it's best if you stay in your own place," Anti decided. He hadn't ever had something like this happen to him before- usually his belongings just faded away when he was gone or unconscious, they never broke without him touching them.

Did this have something to do with his own emotional state?

Halter cautiously got to his feet, having to duck slightly as the ceiling was too low. "I... okay, just... help me out, alright?"

Anti led him outside, closing the door behind him. He didn't want to bother fixing the broken shards of glass that lay strewn across his floor.

By the time he got back, he knew he'd be itching for something sharper than his own blade.


	3. Chapter 2

**~Void~**

"Okay, okay, ve can do zis..." Henrik muttered to himself, holding his head in his hands. "Ve can rise up against all odds and vork together. Ve just have to have less of... zis."

Henrik gestured to the bullet wound that had until recently been seeping blood onto Jackieboy Man's suit, the ego in question looking rather salty as he eyed a certain moustache-wearing ego on the opposite side of the room.

"You don't understand, doctor!" Warfstache insisted, gesticulating wildly. "He asked me to do it- he said 'kill me now'!"

Dr. Iplier groaned heavily. "Euthanasia, while effective in most cases, is not to be taken lightly, Wilford. I  _have_ told you again and again."

Warfstache huffed indignantly, rolling his eyes. "You need to drop your fancy words, seriously, nobody knows what you're talking about!"

"He's saying ye shouldn't just shoot people, ye fookin bitch!" Jackie snarled, flipping him off. Jackie wasn't usually so on-edge, and irritable... something about being stuck with the Ipliers in a tiny house was causing the short fuse he called his restraint to burn up again and again...

Warfstache rolled his eyes once more. "Well if you don't want to be shot, you shouldn't  _ask_ to be killed!"

"Oh, fook me..." Jackie sighed to himself.

Henrik rested a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder, glancing understandingly at his lover. He knew about Wilford's affliction, and there wasn't much the other egos could really do except tread carefully- it was usually easier to deal with, but...

It seemed that everyone was having a rough time, this close to people they didn't quite trust...

"I'm sorry," Dr. Iplier mouthed to him. Henrik smiled sadly in return.

"Komm, Jackieboy," Henrik sighed, leading the older ego out of the makeshift office and into the shared bedroom that the other Septiceyes had already migrated to. The house they had all banded together to make was far from perfect- it was stressing them all to maintain even the smallest amount of space, and a lot of them fell short of their own expectations. Most of the other egos had passed out already due to the strain, leaving only Wilford, Google, Bing, Jackie, and the doctors awake. 

It was somewhat peaceful before the gunshot was heard, and the doctors had to put their own plans on hold to patch up the wounds of the other egos. Of course, egos couldn't really  _die,_ but they could fade away if they grew too weak, and the doctors would always do the best they could to make sure that didn't happen. It could be weeks, months even before they got enough strength to form a body again- it was never a fun experience for anyone involved...

"Fook, why do I have to stay in the same house as that maniac?" Jackie grumbled to himself, groaning irritably. "Why do any of us have to? Why can't we just go back to  _my_  place, and-?"

"Mein Liebe und I are caring for each of you," Henrik explained, cutting Jackie off mid-sentence. "Of course, you are free to return to your Haus, but I must stay und assist vith ze Ipliers. Mein lover needs me hier,"

Jackie sighed in distress. "But he's got this under  _control_ \- I know you trust everyone here, but I-"

"Now now, Jackieboy," Henrik interceded, shaking his head. "Vilford's perception of reality is not the same as ours, you know zis. If anything, you should not provoke him."

"What, so I should just cower away and hope that he doesn't take anything I say too literally? Seriously, Schneep, the last time something like this happened was with Anti, and-"

"Hush," Henrik warned, glancing at the stirring Septiceye egos. "Look, zey are so peaceful, don't bring up zeir brother now. Es ist time to rest."

Jackieboy rolled his eyes, but complied, working his way underneath a makeshift sleeping bag and huffing up at his little brother.

"He's  _dangerous_."

Henrik looked down, almost reluctant to speak. "I know."

"But still you stick up for him," Jackieboy accused.

Henrik met his eyes with grim determination. "I know," he repeated.

"Still, you stick up for  _Anti_ ," Jackieboy muttered spitefully.

Henrik stood, unable to handle the negativity rolling from the superhero in waves. He was usually so upbeat and cheery, but whenever his older brother was mentioned his attitude turned sour and cold. It might be jealousy, it might be fear... Henrik had never been able to run tests on him to properly diagnose his condition, but it was unnatural how eager the other ego was to bring up Anti.

Perhaps, it was simply a pride thing. Jackie still blamed himself for failing to save them that day, Henrik knew... but that couldn't be the whole story. There must have been  _something_  else jarring on his nerves...

"Our big brother is ill, Jackieboy," Henrik murmured. "Und I vill not lose hope in his recovery. Even if he vants no help from me..."

He closed the door before Jackieboy could reply, and sat in his chair again, groaning heavily. To think that a mere half hour ago, he and Doc were engaging in light foreplay on the sofa... needless to say, the mood was well and truly killed.

The doctor looked up at the sound of the other door closing, seeing his boyfriend walk into the room with him. They shared a grim smile, interlocking hands as they sat together, their shoulders brushing instinctively.

"I really am sorry," Dr. Iplier started, but Henrik held a finger to his lips, smiling wryly in response.

"Don't be," Henrik insisted. "Jackieboy cannot keep his mouth shut for his own good."

Dr. Iplier rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well, yes, but... Wilford should know better."

Henrik shook his head. "Nonsense, Doc. Vilford is still recovering from his traumatic experience, zere is nothing ve can do for him presently. I have accepted zat, und... es ist about time zat you accept it too."

"I just feel like maybe bringing all of us together was a bad idea," Dr. Iplier swallowed. "I've already had to break up two fights today, and it's barely evening."

Henrik bit his lip. He hated to admit that it was true. Already, the Jims had annoyed Marvin (and by extension, Yandereplier) to the point where knives became involved and they had to be forcefully separated. Then, the event between Wilford and Jackieboy had transpired. Henrik was reluctant to even  _try_ to do something to alleviate his stress. He'd likely have to cease his activity within twenty minutes anyway, to cater to another ego's wants and needs...

It was what he deserved for deciding to become a proper doctor, he supposed... if he hadn't taken the initiative to learn his field, perhaps the other egos wouldn't trust him enough to seek his advice so consistently.

His lover had the same problem...

"I hope Dark gets back soon," Dr. Iplier uttered, resting his head on Henrik's chest as the German ego brushed his fingers softly through his hair.

"Me too," Henrik sighed, cupping Doc's cheek. "Zis housekeeping business ist making me lose mein marbles."

Dr. Iplier chuckled, though the humour in his laugh was dwindling. Henrik noticed, and gently pulled the other man closer until their lips were touching softly. After a moment, they broke apart, hearing a muffled crash from the room next door.

They groaned unanimously in defeat. Neither had even known there was anything breakable in the room, but they supposed someone may have knocked over a television or something- Robbie did like to watch sports, for reasons that nobody else could comprehend. Perhaps Host had bumped into some furniture on his way to see the younger zombie, even...

A resounding groan affirmed Henrik's initial suspicions and he reluctantly stood, placing his hand on the doorknob and grimacing.

"I'm scared to even look," Dr. Iplier sighed, ready to follow him.

"All in a day's vork," Henrik muttered grimly. He had a ball of tension growing in his chest that he couldn't quite describe, but the feeling was definitely unwelcome. He felt like he was on the edge, and it had barely been a  _day_ without Dark.

Henrik didn't know what he'd do if he had to care for these wild egos for any more than a week. At least he had Dr. Iplier at his side, even if their meetings never seemed to progress past those of work colleagues at this point. The company was very appreciated, in any case.

But if Henrik didn't get some alone time soon, he felt as though he might just  _snap_...

**~Groundlands~**

"Morning," Seán greeted, knocking on the door to the guest room. It wasn't morning at all- rather it was 1:45 pm, but God knows he needed the sleep in. After last night's conversation with Mark, Seán came to the seemingly obvious conclusion that they were screwed. Mark took a few minutes to let the news that Darkiplier was at his friend's house sink in before he started to freak out, but even with the hour or so they'd been on the phone, neither had been able to come up with a plan of action.

It wasn't every day that an all-powerful being shacked up at your house, after all...

Seán heard Dark roll out of the bed and stood uncertainly at the door. Should he loiter here and wait until the ego emerged? Was that creepy? Seán didn't know, but before he could act, he heard the ego's cool voice.

"You can come in, Seán. I won't bite."

Blushing, Seán walked inside. He'd forgotten that the ego could read minds.

"How did you sleep?" Seán asked, observing how neat the room appeared to be. He hadn't known what he was expecting- did he really think everything would just break overnight?

Dark looked worse for wear than when he'd gone to bed. Bags lay heavy under his eyes, and his clothes were all creased, save for his tuxedo, which must have been placed aside. Seán could tell that no matter what he'd say, the ego had definitely  _not_ slept well.

_Did he even sleep at all?_

"Fine," Dark muttered. "I slept fine, better than I have in years, in fact."

Dark didn't want to lie to Seán, but he didn't really have to explain himself to the human either. It would take a lot more comprehending on Seán's part if Dark were to even attempt to tell him about the three entities inhabiting this body. Dark did not sleep well. His body had tossed and turned all night as the words of Damien and Celine reverberated in his mind. He felt on edge and irritable, and knew it would be best if he got out for a while. Away from the human who sat with him, away from himself.

But then, he also knew that he didn't belong in this world. And no matter how many walks he took, he would never belong here.

"Wish I could read minds," Seán said, and Dark met his eyes fiercely.

"Do you?" He challenged. "It's a curse more often than a blessing."

"No, no, it's just..." Seán bit his lip. "You go quiet a lot. Sometimes, I wish I knew what you were thinking. I just feel so out of the loop and I... I don't know..."

Dark smiled grimly. "My thoughts would terrify the bravest soldier, Seán. They terrify  _me_. I wouldn't wish it upon you to endure them- but if your curiosity grows insatiable, please, do not hesitate to ask questions."

"Right," Seán sighed. "Well, I don't know if you can summon clothes or what, but I have some that might fit, y'know, if you ever get tired of wearing that suit."

Dark smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, Seán. It is much appreciated, and I must thank you again for your hospitality."

Seán waved him off. "It's fine, Dark, it's fine. Are you hungry?"

"I don't need to eat," Dark mused.

"Okay, well, if you change your mind, you know where the kitchen is. I was going to record a video but I still have this splint, so I guess I'll just post an update saying I'm sick," Seán sighed.

Dark felt a rush of pity- most likely from Damien. Celine was never one for empathy.

"Please, Seán- I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner. If you'd like me to, I could take your injury unto myself."

Seán's eyes widened as he tried to comprehend the information he'd just been told. "Wait... really?"

"Much like Daniel absorbed Dan's stab wounds, I can absorb your sprain. Just let me in, and it'll be over before you know it."

Seán eyed him warily. "You... you're not just trying to possess me and steal my body, are you?"

Some part of Dark mused that it might be a good idea, but a force he identified as Damien took control. For being a peaceful spirit, the ex-mayor sure was fierce. Dark supposed Celine couldn't have inherited all of their parents' fire.

"No, Seán, trust me. This body is dear to me and if I were to lose it, I may fall apart."

It was meant to be a joke, but it still rang with truth. Damien felt horrible about stealing the body of his former friend, but clung to it as if it was the last thing from his previous life he'd ever know.

Save for Wilford, Dark supposed it was.

Seán laughed nervously. "Um... okay then. I trust you."

Dark placed his hand on Seán's arm, meeting his eyes. "Seán, I want you to listen closely. When we are one, you may see things that will confuse you, startle you,  _scar you_. I don't want this to be any more arduous than it needs to be. I urge you not to open your eyes, you gather? Do. Not. Open. Your. Eyes."

Seán gulped. Well now he couldn't think of anything  _but_  opening his eyes. He could hear Dark slowly counting down from three, feel his chilling grip on his skin, tight but still with plenty of room to back out if he wanted to.

Suddenly, Seán felt his insides turn as if he was being pushed from the inside. His head began to spin, his ears throbbing, and he realised with a start that he'd forgotten to close his eyes.

Images, places, people Seán recognised and people he didn't, all flashing before his eyes. He saw Jameson Jackson conversing with him as if he was there in the room. He saw Jackieboy Man, soaring through the sky, holding an ego Seán didn't recognise as they wailed to be put down.

Then, Seán saw Anti. Sitting cross-legged in a white room, teeth bared and arms slick with crimson.

_"Get out!"_

Seán came to his senses, knees buckling as he collapsed on the bed, hearing it creak uncomfortably under his weight. He didn't know if it was Anti or Dark who had yelled, but the noise was still echoing through his mind, fading slowly away.

Seán realised that his wrist was no longer throbbing, running his hand over it in wonder. It was as if it had never been hurt in the first place. _  
_

Seán looked up and saw Dark cradling his arm, an obvious swollen lump forming on the smooth grey skin. A pool of guilt began to form in his stomach- why had he thought he was more important than Dark?

"Here," Seán offered, taking away his bandage. It wasn't as if he needed it now. Dark held up his other hand in resistance.

"No, Seán. It will heal on its own. Tell me, what did you see?"

Seán flushed once more as Dark smirked knowingly at him. He hated how vulnerable he felt around the ego, but at the same time, it was comforting. He wouldn't know how to start a conversation if the ego didn't constantly bring up what he was thinking.

"I... You knew I was going to look, didn't you?"

Dark grinned. "I may have only known you for a short number of hours, but I've known your egos since they were created. You all have a lot in common, especially your stubborn streak. There's no telling any of you what to do."

Seán blinked, eyes wide.

Dark snorted humourlessly. "The short answer is yes. Now, Seán, I'm curious. Was it horrifying to see?"

Seán shook his head. "No, no, nothing like that. I just... it's like watching me, you know? Like watching myself from someone else's perspective, and that prospect is absolutely mind bending."

"Yes, it can be overwhelming," Dark agreed. "So you saw your egos for the first time? They're all highly protective of you, you know."

Seán felt warmth spread through his chest as the implications of what he saw were realised.

"Wait, wait, I thought Anti was the only one who was real. You're telling me that all of them- Chase, Schneep, Robbie..."

Dark nodded. "All conscious. Anti is just more... outgoing, if you will. I live in a manor with the majority of Mark's many egos in a parallel space we call the Void. Your egos visit us often- together, we make up one of the biggest families in the entire Void."

Seán took a moment to let that sink in. Were they really all there? Alive? Had he created sentient beings that were trapped in an endless, blank reality? 

"They enjoy it there," Dark spoke. "They treat each other like brothers... well, most of them do, anyway."

Seán smiled wryly, somehow knowing exactly what Dark meant. "Anti doesn't seem like the brotherly type, figures..."

Dark's eyes flashed with something akin to defiance. "Their relationship is... difficult. But neither side are saints here, Seán. Anti may have broken, but who do you think cracked him in the first place?"

Seán shuddered, his mind replaying the image of Anti, sitting alone in a pool of red. It must have been Dark that the ego was yelling at- but why had Dark been there in the first place?

"You are troubled." Dark noted.

Seán swallowed. "Um... actually, I am, I... I saw Anti when you possessed me."

Dark nodded sadly. "Understandable- unfortunately, he and I have a lot of run-ins with each other for all the wrong reasons. What was the nature of our meeting?"

"He... he was hurting himself," Seán muttered. "I... does he do that often?"

He didn't think he'd ever feel pity towards Anti. God knows the ego had wrecked a decent many of Seán's days, but the Anti he saw in that room wasn't cocky and arrogant. He was scared and defeated.

Dark's earlier words echoed in his mind.

_Broken..._

Dark sighed. "Anti is... a special case. He was always troubled by self esteem issues, even when it was only he and I. When your other egos came into existence, they didn't take too kindly to him. He turned to his blade as a coping mechanism, and with everything he's gone through, his habit has only gotten worse..."

Seán didn't know what to say. Anti had always seemed so evil, so numb, so sociopathic... but what if he was just troubled by his own mental state? All this time, what if he couldn't help what he was doing?

Dark cleared his throat and got to his feet, using his cane for support. "My sprain should be healed within the hour. I implore you, Seán, don't let yesternight's events trouble you. Go play some games, relax. Talk to your viewers- it's been long enough. Don't they deserve an explanation?"

With that, Dark left the room. Seán knew he should go and record, especially now that his wrist was better, but he couldn't help but think about Anti. Shit, was he depressed? It should have been obvious with the way he acted in Seán's videos that he had a craving for pain. Seán didn't know if there was anything he could do about it- anything he could possibly say to help, but he ended up groaning in frustration at his lack of ideas.

He would record some videos, he decided. Then it would be better.

"WAPISH! Top of the morning to ya laddies, my name is Jacksepticeye, and welcome to a game called 'TIE'."


	4. Chapter 3

**~Void~**

Chase brought his hand to his face, wiping away at the tears that had been falling from his eyes. He didn't know when his chipper mood had turned so sour, but right now, he felt nothing but a looming sensation of grief and sorrow...

He couldn't explain it. Neither could Schneep or Dr. Iplier- he'd been to them more times than he could count, but even  _they_ couldn't come up with a plausible reason for these waves of emotion he experienced. It was as if he felt guilty, but he couldn't fathom why. There were no memories, no thoughts that would indicate a reason for it, but the feeling deep within his gut... how could it be anything else?

He sighed to himself and wriggled out of the sleeping bag that Dr. Iplier had summoned for him, trying not to wake anyone. There was no sound but the low hum of the television that Robbie was watching filled his ears as he wandered. Stepping over his brothers soundlessly, trying not to disturb any of them, Chase winced as his leg hit something solid.

_CRASH!_

Chase cursed under his breath as the television toppled, smashing on the ground. Robbie groaned loudly in annoyance, causing some of the other egos to stir in their sleep.

"Shit, sorry Robbie," Chase whispered, feeling even worse about himself. He summoned another, slightly larger television for his zombie brother as he felt some of his energy leave him- technology was always more draining to maintain... He took a few deep breaths to counteract it- there was really nothing else he could do about how tired he was suddenly feeling. Just part of being an ego around here...

Robbie sighed, letting his own television dissipate. It was no use now that it was busted, anyway. Chase would usually laugh and wave off Robbie's returned smile, but today, Chase just didn't feel up to it. He didn't meet the ego's eyes as a sudden creaking sound echoed around the small room.

The door to the doctors' office opened, revealing two silhouettes. Chase fidgeted nervously, hoping they wouldn't assume he was sleepwalking again. While it was a genuine condition he found he was troubled by, Chase didn't want to come across as worse than he already was... he hadn't had restless sleep in days, really.

"Chase? Is zat you?" Schneep asked, ushering him over, concern evident in his tone. Chase wanted to do anything but follow, but he knew it was better for him if he just complied. He smiled grimly at Dr. Iplier, who looked worried for him.

When Chase felt like this, a smile was all he could really manage.

"Were you sleepwalking again?" Dr. Iplier asked, summoning a notepad and pen. Chase hated that they took notes about him, how he felt, his thoughts, his  _urges_. But he hated himself more, for even needing this level of care to begin with. He'd been forced to share his innermost secrets, his dark thoughts, his feelings about the people he spent his time with. He knew he'd be shut out and alienated if the doctors breached their confidentiality agreement in any way...

But Chase had to go along with it. As much as he hated it, letting it all out was one of the only things that had helped him deal with his constant state of anxiety and depression.

"No, I wasn't," Chase clarified with a sigh, knowing they wouldn't believe him. "I just... I woke up feeling all shitty again, and I wanted to get out of here for a bit... Sorry,"

The doctors shook their heads at him, though they were clearly in the middle of something before Chase's disruption. It must be hard for them... When so many people looked to them for advice, it had to be incredibly difficult to find time alone with each other. Chase had just ruined another of their nights with his own messed up life, and despite how adamant they seemed that it wasn't his fault, Chase just couldn't deny that it  _was_.

"Komm, sit," Schneep insisted. Chase slumped in the chair, feeling his tears flooding from his eyes once more. It infuriated him to no end that he didn't know the reason behind this. If he just  _knew_ what made him feel so terrible all the time, maybe he'd be able to fight it. Maybe he'd be able to stop intruding on other people's time, because he wouldn't be too pathetic to deal with his own problems...

"First time today?" Dr. Iplier asked. Chase nodded wordlessly, not trusting himself to speak.

"Did you have any nightmares?" Schneep probed, checking his heartbeat. "Your vitals seem to be fine."

"No nightmares," Chase sighed, his breath hitching as he spoke. "No...  _anything_."

Schneep looked at him sympathetically, patting his shoulder. "Zhere zhere, ve vill find out soon enough, Chase. I promise you."

Chase smiled sadly. "I... okay. Thanks, you guys, you really don't have to-"

"Nonsense," Dr. Iplier replied with a reassuring smile. "It is our duty to maintain the health of our fellow egos, after all."

Even those words didn't lift Chase's spirits as he began to pick at his fingernails, a sigh on his lips, his eyes a little dazed...

"Vould you like your sleeping medication?" Schneep continued, worried.

Chase made a face without thinking- the meds he used to get to sleep were actually the most vile thing he'd ever had the displeasure of ingesting. They were big, chalky, and didn't go down well. Dr. Iplier must have seen his expression, because he nudged Schneep's arm, looking pointedly at the other side of the room.

"I think it will be fine. What Chase needs is some comfort- some time away with people he trusts. Bing!"

Chase felt his cheeks redden as he quickly averted his eyes. Oh no, not  _again_. The doctors knew everything about Chase by this point- the foods he hated, the games he'd play, the people he spent the most time with, and the people he'd rather avoid. One thing had led to another some time ago, on a similar night, and Chase had found himself spilling his irrational feelings for his best friend to the doctors. Ever since, they'd been hinting to Bing that Chase liked him as more than a friend, but thankfully the android remained clueless. Chase found himself increasingly likely to crawl away in shame whenever it happened. Usually, he'd be happy to have help with his love life- but not with Bing!

Bing was... special. An android, yet so human-like that Chase sometimes forgot he was a machine. Yet... Chase didn't know if he could even feel love to reciprocate it. He didn't want to assume either way, so he thought the best thing to do would be to keep his own attraction disguised. He didn't want to alienate his best friend, after all. Chase felt it would be better to live with heartache than to live without him at all.

Chase dragged his finger across his throat, wildly gesturing for the doctors to stop. His older brother only smirked knowingly as Bing walked over.

_Prick._

"Suh, dudes? Chase, you alright, bro?"

"I..." Chase didn't know how to start. He was usually decent enough at hiding his emotions, but right now he was just so  _tired_...

Dr. Iplier stepped forward. "Chase is in desperate need of comfort, Bing. You two are close, and seeing as you don't sleep, I would like you to take him under your wing until he feels better."

Bing looked worried as he met Chase's eyes. Chase didn't want to talk about it, knowing Bing would fuss about him much more than necessary. He wanted his bro to remain his bro, not his healthcare adviser- he already had two doctors on his case, after all.

"Komm now, Chase, er is not going to hurt you," Schneep said gently, pushing him toward the android. Chase fumbled, gripping Bing's tank top for support so he didn't fall. Bing smiled at him, and he found himself smiling back, despite his dreadful mood. Chase couldn't help but feel elated around Bing, with his cool exterior and large ego that Chase just  _loved_ to feed.

He supposed that was one of the reasons he'd fallen for him in the first place.

"I know," Chase sighed, somewhat fondly. "He wouldn't hurt a fly,"

Bing grinned. "Come on, dude, I can show you this new trick I've been working on!"

Bing laced their fingers together and led Chase hastily from the room, not noticing the blush that spread across his cheeks at the touch.

 _Get a grip, Brody!_  Chase thought furiously. He hadn't even been this worked up the day he'd first asked Stacy out. He wasn't sure if that was necessarily good or bad, considering he didn't have solid memories, but rather sudden flashbacks full of hurt, love, and sadness that were his only real link to his past.

As they left the room, Dr. Iplier let out a long sigh. "It's getting worse, you know."

"How so?" Dr. Schneeplestein asked, leaning over his lover's shoulder to look at his notes.

"The sudden periods of emotional upheaval are growing closer together than ever before," Dr. Iplier started, flicking a few pages. "Five instances recently, with a documented twenty-three on record. If this continues to happen at this rate, Chase might experience post-traumatic depression every day, or even multiple times daily within what could be a matter of weeks."

Dr. Schneeplestein squeezed his boyfriend's hand gently, trying not to let on that he was as worried as he really was.

"Google, can you run a scan of my notes?" Dr. Iplier asked. The android in question had been sitting quietly in the corner, being unable to sleep like the rest of the egos. The sound of his internal fan had been causing the others to become restless, so he had opted to stay with the doctors instead. It was hard to remember that he was there, as he rarely made any noise, but now he walked purposefully over to the other inhabitants of the room. He seemed especially neutral today...

Google's eyes flashed as he took the notes and projected them onto the wall before them, scanning each piece of paper and uploading them to Dr. Iplier's cloud.

"Scan complete," Google answered in monotone. "Do you find it strange that Chase's symptoms are growing increasingly alike to Wilford's?"

"Yes, Google," Dr. Schneeplestein hummed. "Es ist strange. Zhey both have no memory of zeir lives until zeir appearance in ze Void. But, it is rare zat egos do."

"Henrik, he seems to have a point," Dr. Iplier mused, jotting something down as he thought of a possible explanation. "It must run deeper than that... None of our other ego associates experience trauma and emotional imbalance like Chase and Wilford."

"But Vilford vas once human," Dr. Schneeplestein sighed, shaking his head. "Chase is just as much of an ego as ve are."

There was a tension-filled pause. Dr. Iplier furiously scribbled down some notes, before looking up at the android in the room. "Google, run a search for 'Chase Brody'."

Google's eyes flashed once more. "Running a search for 'Chase Brody'. Search complete. 2.93 million results in 0.23 seconds, top result leads to Jacksepticeye wiki."

Dr. Schneeplestein rested his head on Dr. Iplier's shoulder. "Er ist quite famous, is he not? But ve vill not find any information from ze internet, even if vhat you are suggesting is true."

"But it could mean so  _much_ if it is," Dr. Iplier countered, the determination in his eyes like nothing Schneep had ever seen before. "Google, test for results before April 2017."

"Narrowing search. 335 thousand results in 0.25 seconds."

Google made a face. "Removing results for Chase Brody McNary. Scanning for appropriate information. Article found- February 25th 2015 TheArgus.co.uk. 'Nine confirmed dead after drive-by shooting'..."

The doctors exchanged a wary glance as Google projected his findings. There, on the wall, was a picture of a beaming man with two children. He looked exactly like Chase, but with brown hair hidden by a cap and eyes that shone with a kind of happiness the ego had never been able to reach.

"Nein..." Dr. Schneeplestein uttered, clasping his hands over his mouth as he read the damning words of the article. "Nein, it can't be..."

"I..." Dr. Iplier leafed through his notes shakily. "I think... it makes a lot of sense. How he's feeling so low, how he has no memory of who he once was. It's all linked."

"But zis is crazy!" Dr. Schneeplestein cried, his lower lip wobbling as he looked over the words. "Ve know Chase, he isn't like zis! He's so... he can't be  _dead_!"

"There's no denying their similarities," Google noted, observing one of the nine images on the screen. "Those must be his children. Their names are listed as Trey and Emma."

Dr. Schneeplestein gripped his desk for support, feeling suddenly faint. No... not  _again_. He wouldn't lose another brother to the cruel clutches of abandonment and loneliness. "He is not to find out about zis. He  _can't_ know-"

Dr. Iplier reached over in an attempt to soothe his lover, but Dr. Schneeplestein recoiled. "I... I need some time to process zis troubling news."

Without so much as a goodbye, Dr. Schneeplestein left the room. The remaining occupants could hear the back door to the house creak open and slam shut.

Dr. Iplier ran his hands through his hair, biting his lip. Henrik had never run off like that before... but then, they'd never had news of this calibre to carry before either. And yet... he couldn't ignore his findings, now that they'd been discovered. It wasn't  _right_... 

"We have to tell him, this could be the key to restoring his peace of mind."

Google stepped forward, flashing his eyes as a warning. "Or it could push him further into insanity."

The doctor sighed. "Or that," he agreed reluctantly.

"I advise that you wait," Google supplied. "See if he makes a recovery. See if his time with Bing truly does heal him of his hurt."

The doctor smiled sadly. "I suppose you're right. It... it's very quiet in here without Henrik, isn't it? I do hope he doesn't think too harshly of himself, none of us could have  _known_. I'd like to hold him and tell him it will all be okay, but..."

Google sighed. "If you would like to follow your significant other, I will not be offended. I am, after all, a machine."

"Thanks, Google," Dr. Iplier muttered, quickly leaving the room. Google closed the program and saved the article to his bookmarks, knowing that at least one of the doctors would want to see it again. Telling Chase about his past upfront wouldn't work in anyone's favour, he knew. But withholding such important details about his previous life was sure to end badly.

Google told himself that as a machine, he had no business being emotional about this revelation. Then why, against everything, did he shed a small tear?

Google shook his head, seeing the walls around him flicker. This house was falling apart, both metaphorically and literally. If only Dark was here. Dark would fix everything...

He  _had_ to.

**~Groundlands~**

Dark felt... exposed. Standing alone in Seán's room, his suit discarded and neatly folded on the bed, wearing something Celine would describe as rags. Thin polyester based fabric that was cold against his skin, the words 'How Did We Get Here?' printed on the front.

_'How did we get here indeed,'_

_ 'This material is cheap and uncomfortable,' _

_'Celine, please, would you rather wear the suit? Seán is being kind enough to lend us his own clothing, the least we could do is accept his charity,'_

Dark scanned over the other items in the messy closet. Various shirts of similar quality were folded among what looked like hundreds of denim jeans, some hooded jumpers and an assortment of shoes at the bottom. Dark curled his lip in distaste.

_ 'Wait, what's this?' _

Dark opened the other side of the closet, feeling smooth fabric beneath his fingers. He pulled the hanger out and found a black dress, cut just above the knee, layered in neat ruffles with an overhanging transparent veil. His breath hitched.

_ 'This is nice,' _

_'Celine, it is hardly appropriate for us to wear this-'_

_ 'If he's going to be all offended at us wearing a dress, why does he have it in the first place?' _

_'You seem to forget that this body is not suitable for feminine garments.'_

Dark huffed under his breath, his fingers trailing longingly over the shimmering dress.  _"Only because you're using all of your power to make it that way. I know as well as you that this body once belonged to a woman."_

Dark began to shift. His skin became smoother, his face slimmer, his hips more prominent and his chest substantially heavier. He groaned as he felt the bones of this form twist and fall into the shape that Celine was pressing upon him.

When he opened his eyes, Dark looked down at his new form. His hair fell delicately around his pale cheeks and full lips. The shirt he had been wearing was now slightly short due to the breasts that protruded from his once smooth torso. His waist was smaller, his legs too.

"No," Dark muttered.  _"We're a 'she' now, Damien."_

_'Celine this is quite enough,'_

_ 'I haven't been able to express myself in this form in almost a decade, Damien, stop being so selfish-!' _

_'Selfish is courting my best friend in my body despite my own wishes, you absolute insufferable-'_

"Dark, are you decent?"

Dark's head whipped towards the door, dropping the dress hastily on the bed. He could feel his body changing back to its previous state, and through gritted teeth and pain he responded.

"Please come in, Seán."

The door opened, letting in a dazed and confused looking Irishman who didn't stop to look at the demon before flopping down on his bed.

"Is it- I mean, it's weird, but, is it possible for my egos to talk through me?"

Dark was taken aback. He didn't know of anything like this, but then, he only had one of Seán's egos to compare it to. "Your egos were talking through you? How so?"

Seán shook his head. "I didn't really notice at first, but I was playing a game about depression and I just became aware of the shit that was coming out of my mouth- Things I wouldn't say, you know? The last time I remember that happening was with Anti, but a lot more extreme, and I wasn't conscious for it so-"

"And what were you saying?" Dark probed.

Seán scrunched his face up, trying to remember. "Something along the lines of 'my best friend is in a coma', something about kids? I mean, I don't know what came over me but I figured, maybe it was-"

"Chase," Dark finished. "Chase speaking through you. I... I'll admit, I haven't seen anything like this before. Was he addressing anyone in particular? Your audience? Yourself?"

"I don't think so," Seán replied. "I just... I barely even noticed I was doing it- How many other times has this happened? Fook, man, I don't look at my videos after I record them-"

"Breathe, Seán, breathe," Dark soothed. "I'm sure it is nothing to worry about. Chase is a very troubled young man, sometimes his emotions get the best of him."

Seán noticed the clothing Dark was wearing for the first time, smirking to himself despite his panicked mood. "You're wearing my tour merch,"

"I find it quite comfortable," Dark mused. "In my time, we didn't have polyester fibres. The most common fabric for domestic outfits was cotton."

Seán whistled. "I keep forgetting you're from a different century altogether."

Dark shrugged. "Sometimes, so do I. Nonetheless, I am indebted to you, Seán. Thank you again for your hospitality."

Seán smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. Dark supposed he was still shaken from his earlier experience.

"Good Lord, this room is a mess," Seán laughed to himself. "How did you find anything in this wreck?"

Dark chuckled fondly, shaking his head. "You don't know a mess until you experience a mass sleepover between the Ipliers and the Septiceyes."

Seán grinned. "Sounds like my boys. Just what does a mass sleepover entail?"

"Well, it is mainly Dr. Iplier and Yandereplier that plan them. It involves a lot of inappropriate humour, a lot of alcohol, some heavy petting, and either a horror movie or a romantic comedy."

Seán snorted, sighing softly. "I, uh... I'd like to hear more about them, you know? In a way, they're kind of like my children."

Dark chuckled. "In a way, I suppose they are. They're quite a rambunctious group."

Seán was about to respond, but caught sight of the dress that lay beside Dark. He flushed slightly, moving to put it back in the corner of the closet it had come from.

"That's not- I mean, I don't- I'm- I don't wear that," Seán stuttered. "It's not mine. It's my girlfriend's."

Dark raised an eyebrow. "Girlfriend?"

Seán sighed. "Sorry, I just- I didn't- I don't-"

Dark placed a reassuring hand on Seán's shoulder. "It's fine, Seán. Don't worry. I... didn't know you were in a relationship,"

Seán's blush only intensified. Was he embarrassed to talk about it? "She lives with me, actually. She's just away visiting her family for a few weeks- she's from Denmark, so..."

"I... see," Dark mused. "She shares your room?"

"We're... well, we've been pretty serious," Seán sighed, though he didn't seem so happy about it. "Yeah. It's been a little lonely without her, but she's coming back on Friday, so I'm... excited, to see her again."

Dark felt a pang in his own chest that he attributed to Damien's tendency to empathise with others. Celine was never one to value a loving relationship over a lustful one, and the demon residing in this body with them had never cared for romance.

"You sound unhappy when you talk about her," Dark muttered. "Is everything... alright, between you two?"

Seán bit his lip. "I... it doesn't matter, just... I've had a tough year, and it hasn't been easy on us. But we're sorting it out, don't worry about us..."

Dark sighed wistfully, pushing his worries aside. "It almost makes me wish that I..."

Dark trailed off, clenching his cane nervously. It simply wouldn't do for Seán to realise that some part of Dark was attracted to his alter ego. That would certainly make things more awkward between them than Dark would like.

"It doesn't matter," Dark muttered. "Thank you again, for everything. If you would like, I can tell you about the activities your egos get up to in the void- that is, if you have no other engagements."

Seán smiled, still looking quite sad despite his reassurances. "I'd like that, thanks Dark."


	5. Chapter 4

**~Void~**

"What in the name of Janey Mac am I looking at right now?"

Halter looked sheepishly at the ground, twiddling all four of his thumbs behind his back. A house stood before them- small and comfortable, something that even Anti would usually find welcoming.

But instead of a normal roof, there stood a large gabled slab of curved shingles that rose taller than  _anything_ Anti had ever seen. Anti felt that words couldn't begin to describe this slope of mistakes- what had Halter been  _thinking_?

"It's an owl slide," Halter explained, as if that would make everything crystal clear.

Anti shook his head in disbelief. "An... owl slide? That's a fookin safety hazard is what  _that_ is,"

"It's modern art," Halter huffed, crossing his arms.

Anti raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, if you  _want_ to have a bike ramp on your house it's fine. That idiot Bing will probably try to skate on it, just a fair warning."

Halter cocked his head to one side. "Bing? Like the search engine that people only use for porn?"

Anti shrugged. "I've never used Bing, to be fair- I've hardly even met the guy. I mean, Google helped me build my house, but..."

The glitch trailed off with a sigh, fighting off the memories of when he'd first built his house. They'd been nice when he made them, but now they just sounded angry in his ears. Picking out warm-looking homes with dark wooden panelling, customising his rooms to feel just like  _home_... he'd had to get rid of his rich carpet after sustaining the wound on his neck, the blood growing too much to clean. Eventually, he'd stopped even caring about decoration... he only had the necessities. 

And in this Void where he could sit and stare at nothing for days on end with no ill effects, he found he didn't really need all that much to get by...

"Google?" Halter asked. "What, is Yahoo floating around here too?"

Anti shook himself out of his thoughts, smirking at Halter's question. "Nah, don't give Mark any ideas though. He can barely control the ones he already has."

"Mark as in Markiplier?" Halter asked, blinking slowly.

Anti raised an eyebrow. "How do you know him?"

"I-I don't know. I guess... I think... fanfiction-?"

"Oh god, don't go further," Anti shuddered. He was very aware of what people wrote him to be, and he didn't like going into it often. It would scar him worse than what he'd already done to his body to see it again...

Halter didn't question him, and Anti found himself wondering why he'd stopped the fusion. He usually enjoyed making everyone feel uncomfortable, and surely if Halter delved into his extensive memory he'd be almost as embarrassed as Septiplier. Why had Anti stopped his usual way of thinking?

 _I must just be shaken still_ , Anti concluded.  _That fight took a bit out of me..._

But he knew it wasn't the case.

_You're growing s͘o̡f͡҉͡t!_

_"Shut up!"_ Anti growled to himself, catching the concerned look on Halter's face.

"Anti?"

"Not you," Anti huffed. "I just... look, I like you, kid. Listen... I'm sorry about earlier, I didn't want to seem rude and push you out like that-"

"It's fine," Halter interceded. "Really. Thank you so much for your help, I don't know what I would've done without you."

Despite the pounding of his head, Anti felt... fulfilled. He'd never really tried to help somebody before. When he'd still been friends with Dark and the Ipliers, he'd spent most of his time being on the receiving end of it, and since then... well, he hadn't exactly wanted to be helpful.

He didn't know what to say. 'I've been lying to you'? 'You shouldn't'? 'You're better without me'?

"You're welcome," Anti defaulted, hoping that would suffice.

Halter examined him curiously. "Are... you okay?"

Anti shrugged, biting back the snark he'd developed after living alone for so many months. "I don't get thanked often, that's all..."

_I don't do anything people would thank me for either..._

Halter smiled sadly and offered a hand to Anti, who looked at it with a small amount of disdain.

"What?" Anti asked.

"Do you need a hug?" Halter offered.

Anti sighed, silently hating himself for the way his face was heating up. Blood began to seep from his wound as it did when he was flustered, so he summoned a towel to wipe it away.

"Is that how you cry or something?" Halter mused, watching the scene unfold. It was a good thing the fusion wasn't squeamish- Anti didn't know how he'd keep him around with his neck bleeding out every two seconds.

Anti found himself snorting as he realised what Halter was implying. "Might as well be. I don't really do hugs."

Halter pouted, arms still held out hopefully.

_H҉̶͜ow͝ ͞p̢iti҉̛f̨̕u͠͠l..._

Anti sighed reluctantly, and let the fusion scoop him into his arms, enjoying the touch of another person for once. His head was throbbing, his neck pouring, but he pushed that aside as Halter began to celebrate.

"Yay," Halter grinned, reminding Anti so impossibly of a friend he'd used to know... "I knew you had it in you!"

"Don't push your luck," Anti threatened, but the smile he wore gave his emotions away. He felt... elated. It was strange. He hadn't felt much aside from hatred and pain in a long while. He could still feel it, boiling away in his gut, but he didn't miss it.

Anti found that he liked this bubbly, carefree feeling much better than the alternative. He had the idea he'd always enjoyed affection.

It's just that nobody would give it to him.

Nobody wanted him.

He was insane. Who would want to get near to him?

 _Halter_.

Anti smiled, hugging the fusion tighter. Halter was here. Halter had seen his mental state drop, and still wanted to be with him. Halter still held some measure of trust for Anti.

And Anti wanted to keep it that way. He wanted company.

He wanted a  _friend_...

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

Marvin sat on the sofa, eyes closed and hands over his ears as he tried to ignore the tremendous amount of noise that was coming from his boisterous family. There were only two rooms in this tiny house, if you could even  _call_ it that, and everyone save the doctors and the search engines had been sharing the larger one. It was like a typical sleepover that happened with the egos, except for a few, quite noticeable differences.

It was a shame that Marvin had never enjoyed the regular slumber parties, even when Dark was there to chaperone and keep them somewhat under control.

The chaos was multiplied easily tenfold- it was never wise to bring everyone together for an extended period of time, but in terms of the time it took for things to go pear-shaped, this was a new record. Wilford had already shot Jackieboy, and while it was something the doctors were able to fix, Marvin knew his brother would hold a grudge about it. Marvin couldn't blame him- after all, he still believed his older brother was deranged and dangerous after killing them all that one time...

The memories would never escape him- being trapped in those closed in walls with Schneep and Jackieboy, out of touch with even the Ipliers. He'd been the first to see Anti approaching- he'd been heading out to see Yan by the cherry tree, when he'd caught the knife in his stomach. Wounded, and hurt, he'd closed the door and shouted for the others to run.

It hadn't ended well for any of them, that night... Marvin hated the feeling of fading. Watching yourself disappear into nothing, like you never even mattered... he'd seen Schneep get struck down on his way upstairs, he'd watched Jackie attempt to hide in the bathroom... Anti had gotten to them all.

Bastard was probably too insane to have regrets about it, too.

Ever since Anti had introduced him to his blade, Marvin had hated knives. He wasn't  _petrified_ of them, not at all, but whenever he saw one he was only reminded of his older, psychotic brother. The one who gave them all a bad name. It just wasn't like a Septiceye to be a cold blooded killer- like Jack, they were all nice.

 _But Anti's his opposite_ , Marvin thought bitterly.  _He hates Jack._

Marvin wasn't ashamed to admit that he despised having a connection to Anti. After everything he'd done to the other Septiceyes as well as Jack, Marvin would be quite happy if he just vanished and left them alone to their lives. Maybe then he'd be able to look at a knife without feeling bitterness, maybe then he'd be able to look in a mirror without his mask and see  _himself_ instead of his crazy brother...

Marvin huffed. There was no point thinking about himself right now, he knew. They were all in danger- Dark was gone, and he certainly had quite a few enemies that might be coming for them. Marvin didn't know any of them in person- well, except for Anti, of course. Dark was the only one who could stand up to him and win, and had become a protector of sorts for Marvin and his brothers in wake of the incident.

Though Marvin knew he had his own...  _personal_ bodyguard, he appreciated Dark's constant help.

 And of course, by personal bodyguard, Marvin meant Yandereplier.

They'd known each other for almost two years, they'd been dating for about as long, and yet every time they seemed to grow closer together, Marvin would close up and refuse to let things move forward. He didn't hate Yan- no, he couldn't. He was attached to the redheaded ego in more ways than one. But every time he found himself falling, every time he wanted to  _try_ \- it would get...  _weird_. Someone would die. Someone would be threatened, someone would be hurt, and Marvin wouldn't have any say on the matter. He wouldn't see Yan. He'd see a killer just like his brother, and that made his stomach turn.

Why couldn't their relationship be simpler? Marvin felt he could look around the room right now and count the egos who had a better love life than his own...

He saw Wilford getting up close and personal with his brother, Jameson. They were strangely close to each other in their respective sleeping bags, Jameson making slow hand motions against Wilford's chest in the dark room. Marvin knew that Wilford slept around- heck,  _everyone_ knew. He was a terrible flirt with a large ego and from what Marvin had heard from multiple sources, he was quite an impressive kisser. 

He remembered when he first noticed his brother and Wilford growing close. He and Jackieboy had tried to intervene- to warn Jameson of how Wilford behaved, but surprisingly, the dapper man had brushed away the warnings without concern.

 _'I already know,'_  his lips read as he tapped his head.  _'I don't care.'_

Marvin hadn't believed it at first- how could Jameson still love the idiot when he knew he wasn't faithful? Jackie had stressed that it isn't good for Wilford to treat him this way, and Jameson had rolled his eyes exaggeratedly.

 _'At the end of the day, he still comes back to me,'_  Jameson had replied, placing his hand over his heart.  _'It's not my business what he does when he's away,'_

Marvin knew love could make you do stupid things- even continuing this troubled relationship with Yan was unhealthy, and he almost continued to fight Jameson on the matter. But something made him come to a strange conclusion. Some people, like Yan, were possessive to the point where you couldn't so much as talk to another person without making them jealous. Jameson was just... just the  _opposite_. 

He didn't want Wilford to stop sleeping with others, because he knew it was simply second nature to the ridiculous pink-mustached man. As much as it went against all of his own morals, Marvin found he morally had to give this one up. It wasn't his place to decide the rules of his brother's relationship- if any of his brothers had a say in his own love life, they'd have stopped Marvin from speaking to Yan long ago...

Even now, when Wilford was observed coming back from a wild night, Jameson would only slap his wrist lightly and ask if there was more to go around. And this was the one everyone thought was  _innocent_?

Marvin wanted to be able to forgive someone so easily. He wanted to forget how Yan looked when he pulled knives on the other Ipliers that talked to Marvin, how the blood had dripped from his uniform when Marvin let it go too far. But he couldn't forget, couldn't  _forgive_. 

_Why can't we be normal?_

Then there was the iconic duo, Chase and Bing. Marvin had seen them leave through the back after Chase had knocked over Robbie's TV, probably off to practice their silly tricks. They were the closest of friends, despite the obvious inhibition of Bing being... well, a  _robot_. As far as Marvin knew, neither had confessed their feelings yet, but they were able to act like such carefree goofballs... Marvin wanted that. He wanted to be close enough to someone that nothing would be weird between them, even if their relationship remained platonic. At this point, he'd take friendship and understanding over love any day.

With Yan, Marvin just hadn't been able to do it. How could he put himself into the mind of a character who murdered innocents for some whimsical dream of a true love? He wished he could relate to Yan in some way- maybe it would make it easier to be with him.

_I wish I could understand..._

And the doctors- though their relationship seemed strained as of late. Marvin was quite envious of just how  _together_  they seemed to have their lives. They had everything planned out, nothing came as a shock to them, even if they both had a tendency to exaggerate. Heck, they were the only ones stable and powerful enough to hold this house together- hence why most of the egos were still sleeping. Most of them hadn't had to make anything on such a large scale in... well,  _ever_. The pure power drain had knocked them clean out.

Yan was resting on Marvin's lap, cuddling into his warmth. Marvin played lazily with his blood red hair, examining his calm, sleeping form as he let out a fond little sigh. He looked so alike to Mark's other egos, yet he was the only one with hair this shade. Dark had apparently sported some red in his hair a while back, but Marvin didn't consider Wilford a reliable source of information, and the demon refused to admit it. But Marvin couldn't imagine Yan any other way...

Marvin always liked the colour red- well, considering Jack liked it too, it was hardly a surprise. He loved the way it fell onto Yan's face, a big ball of floof that none of Mark's other egos possessed. Something that distinguished him from his brothers.

Marvin didn't have anything like that. Yan kept telling him to remove his mask, but without it, who was he really? Just a carbon copy of his brothers? Marvin still didn't know why Yan had chosen him, but he figured that the ego could just as easily have chosen any of his brothers. Sometimes he caught himself wondering what it would be like if Yan had made Jackieboy or Anti his Senpai? If Dark and Anti weren't so painfully obviously in lust with each other, Marvin thought the glitch bitch would have gotten along great with the yandere. 

He felt guilty for not being able to appreciate the things Yan did for him, knowing that his intent was good but his  _methods_... Yan wasn't a bad person. But then... Yan wasn't exactly the  _best_ person, either.

Marvin thought this, but then, he found himself jealous. He didn't hate Yan- he actually loved him quite a lot. At times he felt he was undeserving of the ego's seemingly limitless attention, and at others, he wanted to rip his own hair out in frustration and hurt... This wasn't healthy. This wasn't  _good_. But Marvin didn't know what else to do.

He didn't  _know_.

And it was killing him...


	6. Chapter 5

**~Void~**

"Dude, this is gonna be so cool, you're not gonna believe it," Bing gushed, summoning his skateboard. Chase had followed the ego outside, where he'd found a makeshift ramp that seemed to quiver in the light cast from indoors- it didn't seem sturdy enough to hold anything, let alone a fully grown android and his skateboard, and he found himself biting his lip nervously as Bing scaled the object.

"That doesn't look stable," Chase said worriedly, hearing a resounding groan rumbling from the ramp when Bing scrambled to his feet. "You sure it's safe?"

"Safe? Pssh, if I know anything- and I do! It's that Bingiplier is never wrong!"

Chase snorted as Bing struck a triumphant pose, having summoned a gentle breeze to flow through his hair. He'd gotten used to how extravagant Mark's egos tended to be, in their own little ways, but moments like these would always make him laugh...

"If you're sure," Chase agreed, though he still felt a nagging worry in his gut. He dismissed it as a fading remnant of his earlier relapse, focusing on Bing as shuffled his feet in preparation. The ramp creaked under the android's weight.

"Okay, get the camera ready!" Bing called, losing his balance and wobbling slightly, but shaking it off all the same. Chase felt his heart skip a beat as he summoned the camera, almost dropping it as he failed to predict its weight- but he caught himself, and let out a worried, nervous breath.

"R-ready," Chase answered, trying to shake this anxiety away. Bing was going to be fine- injury didn't mean the same thing here as it did in the Groundlands. And besides, Bing was a professional. Right?

"Sah dude?" Bing grinned, gesturing wildly to the camera. "My name's Bing, and I call this trick 'How High Can You Fly?"

Chase froze.

_"Dude, you gotta see this view!"_

_Chase didn't know who stood before him- so familiar, but yet so different to anything Chase remembered. He wasn't an Iplier and he wasn't a Septiceye, but he sounded like he hailed from Ireland all the same._

_He was standing on a balcony, staring up at a hazy, cloud-filled night sky. Wisps of smoke drifted from his lips, a foreign taste on his tongue, his head pounding like he'd spent the night tit-faced and passed out in an alley. Why was that something he could recall the sensation of?_

_"Chad, you're gonna fall!" Chase found himself calling. But he sounded... off. Somehow, perhaps his voice was less shrill, and his accent softer. It unnerved him- he didn't sound like this. But he did. And who was Chad? The puppet that had appeared in his video beside him? The man he was looking at was hazy and featureless, but a man all the same._

_"Nah, dude, live a little! Ever since you got hitched you've had a stick up your ass,"_

_Chase found himself climbing against his own will, hoisting himself up so that he was sitting atop the roof of a fairly decent home. But why?_

_"It's better if you stand," Chad said, gripping Chase's wrists tightly and trying to lift him. Chase struggled, knocking some shingles aside with his foot as he was brought to his knees. Frustrated, Chase brushed himself off and stood. He wobbled on the slant of the gabled tiles._

_"Fuck you, man, you could've killed me," Chase muttered, but stayed anyway. "What's better? It's just fuckin' clouds,"_

_"Duuude, you're not blazed enough."_

_"Chad, I don't-"_

_Chad tried to force a lit joint into Chase's mouth, but Chase took it out and handed it back to him. "No way, dude, you know that she'd kill me if I came home stoned again!"_

_"Come onnnn, you've changed, Brody. At least have a drink with me, for old time's sake?"_

_Chase didn't want to, but he reached out against his will to accept the cheap beer that Chad was offering him. The shit was nasty, but Chase chugged it down and tossed the empty can over the edge of the roof._

_"Happy now, dick?"_

_"Walk with me!"_

_"Chad, we should get down now before the neighbours call the police again-"_

_"Pfft, fuck the neighbours." Chad slurred, swigging his beer. He gave up on getting Chase to stand, staggering over to the other side of the roof where he spread his arms._

_"You're not into fun anymore, Chase? Look, we could totally fly right now!"_

_He was close to the edge, so close that Chase wanted to scream out. But he didn't, and out of the corner of his eye he could see a small blur of motion that filled him with dread._

_The voice that emanated from him didn't match his shock and hopelessness at all. "Look, I'm a father now, I can't just... Chad? Dude, where'd you-?!"_

_Chase felt his eyes widen in shock and fear as he scrambled to the opposite side of the roof, looking down. Sprawled across the hard concrete ground was a body, a body that was suddenly vividly clear to him. Smashed sunglasses, curly brown hair, blood leaking from every orifice. Chase gagged, stepping backwards and tumbling from the roof, hitting his shoulder on the balcony as he vomited, tears mixing with the bile as he struggled to get to his feet._

"Chase! Dude, are you okay?!"

Chase opened his bleary eyes, seeing a face swimming before his own. Bing... Bing was here! It had all been some sort of night... day... mare?

Chase held onto the robot tightly as he took in several breaths of air. He didn't generally need it, but breathing was certainly a good calming mechanism- Schneep had recommended it to him sometime during their sessions, and Doc was constantly reminding him to breathe things out when it all got to be too much... But all that he could really focus on right now was that Bing was alive. Whatever he'd just seen hadn't happened.

_It's not real._

But then, why did it feel more real than the pain in Chase's arm? More real than the bond he shared with his brothers, more  _real_  than anything else in this Void?

"Dude, don't ever do that to me again!" Bing exclaimed, crushing Chase in a powerful hug, arms snaking around Chase's waist. "You almost made me short circuit!"

"What happened?" Chase muttered, still disoriented. "I just... Was that a  _vision_?"

"I don't know dude, one second I was doing my trick and the next you were out cold with a camera on your arm- how is your arm, by the way? Are you alright?"

Chase could see the concern shining through in Bing's eyes, even behind his sunglasses. He must have been really worried... it shouldn't have warmed his heart as intensely as it did.

"I'm fine, but I just... it was weird, Bing. Like a nightmare, I... I had to watch you die, but it didn't feel like me, but, who  _else_ -"

"Whoa, chill, it's okay," Bing hushed, pressing a finger to Chase's lips as his eyebrows furrowed in concern. "I'm here. I'm not dead. I can't die, I'm an android."

Chase held him closer, realising he'd been fooled once more by Bing's simulated heartbeat. Right. Bing was a robot. It was just so easy to  _forget_...

"Do you want to talk to the doctors?" Bing asked worriedly, looking Chase up and down and scanning him for any injuries.

Chase shook his head violently, his gut sinking further. "Nope, not now. Not  _today_. I don't need them running more tests, I don't want to stress them out even more than-"

As he was speaking, Chase heard the door open and glanced behind him. A distraught looking Schneeplestein was exiting the building, shaking his head and muttering German obscenities under his breath. Chase made to call out, but the doctor held up his hand in refusal and walked the other way, disappearing behind a wall.

Bing observed quietly with his brows furrowed. "What's all that about?"

Chase held his head in his hands. He'd have nightmares occasionally, but none were as clear as  _this_. Who was Chad? Had he really  _died_? Was Chase able to save him?

"You're worried," Bing noted, brushing some of Chase's hair aside to inspect his forehead. His touch sent little shivers down Chase's spine... it must have been the electrical current.

When Bing was worried, or upset, he tended to give off sparks- that's what it had to mean. Chase couldn't fall any further for him, he wouldn't be able to cope...

Chase chuckled mirthlessly, smiling as best he could. "How is it that you always know what I'm thinking?"

"That's Dark," Bing sighed, smirking. "I'm a robot, remember? I can't read minds, but I can detect your electrical impulses and determine your emotional state from the data. But I didn't do that, I just... know."

Chase still felt unnerved, still worried, but he swallowed it down and offered Bing a smile. What's the use in dwelling on the unpleasant for longer than necessary?

Bing returned it. "Come on buddy, I know just how to cheer you up,"

Bing moved so that he was sitting behind Chase, holding him between his legs. He took off his shades and cast a projection of a screen above them, slightly tinted with orange. He gently nudged Chase so that the human ego was nestled in his arms, before looking up a particular video.

Chase found himself grinning, despite everything. Bing  _got_  him. He didn't need to talk things out, or waste time trying to determine the problem in an infinite amount of scenarios- he understood that laughter could be the best medicine for people like Chase... 

"Fuck yes, dude. How'd you guess?"

Bing smiled contently, happy with his decision. "Beneath XVideos, this is the most popular hit on your search history,"

Chase flushed crimson, but didn't say anything. Of course it was normal for bros to discuss their porn preferences, right? But somehow Chase didn't feel comfortable talking to Bing about it, even though the android probably had access to every video he'd ever watched.

_Dammit, should have used Google instead..._

But Chase knew he'd rather Bing know this than his older counterpart. At least Bing wouldn't hold it over his head.

_"You know what? I'm gonna say it. I don't care that you broke your elbow."_

"Nothing a good vine compilation can't fix," Chase sighed, feeling much calmer now. He relaxed into the soft, warm skin that covered Bing's bio-components and his still beating chest. For a moment, he wondered why Bing even simulated a heartbeat in the first place. It certainly wasn't necessary.

But Chase felt a little warmer hearing it, and for that, he was thankful.

**~Groundlands~**

"You seem baffled, Seán," Dark mused, lips curved into a smirk. He was sitting in a manner that was very un-ladylike, causing his inner Celine an immense amount of discomfort. Seán's furniture just seemed so... material, so  _rigid_. Like it wouldn't collapse at any moment if he lost concentration.

Dark supposed it wouldn't. It had just been so long since he'd thought about anything but providing for his family. He had a lot of habits to shake if he was going to stay anywhere else for an extended time, and one of them was his incessant need to be in control of everything.

"Yeah, it's a lot to take in," Seán sighed. "It's weird to think that right now, somewhere, there are a bunch of caricatures with my face running amok."

"If they're even still alive," Dark said nonchalantly. Seán paled considerably at that statement.

"Wait, what!?" the Irishman exclaimed. "They can die?!  _Actually_?!"

Dark raised an eyebrow. "It isn't all fun and games in the Void. While unlimited potential is good for humour and hi-jinks, it is also good for destruction. Most who reside in the expanse are troubled, empty souls that kill out of a desire to be freed. They are one of the many reasons I haven't left the manor's boundaries in years."

"You don't seem to be taking this seriously," Seán uttered, head in his hands.

Dark blinked. "You... you realise that once something is broadcast on social media, it can never truly die?"

Seán looked up, and Dark was astounded to see tears in his eyes. He had never met these egos, why was he so attached to them? It reminded him of an emotion he knew he shouldn't be able to feel, but then why did it tug so insistently at his heartstrings?

"Huh?" Seán asked, confusion evident in his eyes. "The fook does that mean?"

Dark hummed quietly, resigning himself to explain his indifference. "Take, for example, Marilyn Monroe. Dead, but not gone. She is forever engraved and encrypted in the media, a star who wished to remain young and beautiful forever. That wish is now fulfilled. Do you think, even within the next fifty years, that people will forget her legacy?"

"No," Seán sighed. "But she's not... actually still alive, right?"

"No," Dark responded, shaking his head. "For humans, their mortal body is all that determines their time spent in this world. Marilyn may never again grace the screens, but you're forgetting something. Egos are merely figments of your personal reality. They have no material body, and without a material body, is mortality really a problem? They can be wounded, yes. They can be killed and think themselves dead, they can fade from existence. But they'll always return, as long as they're real to someone. And they're real to a lot of people, Seán."

Seán let out a breath of confused relief. "So they can be killed, but they can't die?"

"They can vanish if they are injured beyond their capability of healing," Dark corrected. "And don't misunderstand me, it is truly terrible when that occurs. It can be anywhere between days, months, and rarely even years before the ego returns to consciousness. But no lasting damage, aside from psychological, can be obtained."

"But who would kill them? There aren't any... I don't know, enemies in the Void, are there?"

"I'm more worried they'll kill each other," Dark muttered softly.

"Each other?!"

Dark held up a hand, urging Seán to be quiet. "Yes. It's strange, very, but the relationships that are maintained between my own family and your egos range quite a bit. The doctors are in a committed romantic relationship- though neither have publicly confessed to this fact yet. There was never a greater friendship than the one possessed by Bing and Chase, and come to think of it, The Host rather enjoys reading stories to your zombie as well. That isn't even to mention Yandereplier and his Senpai, Marvin."

Dark could see Seán's face growing redder with every sentence. Some part of him wanted to laugh, but he kept his composure.

"Oh God, don't tell me all of my egos are dating Mark's," Seán groaned. "The Septiplier fans don't need encouragement,"

"It seems that there is a narrow spectrum," Dark offered. "The egos either feel extreme attraction or extreme hatred for each other. This theory proves correct in most cases, I've found. The only ones to which it doesn't apply are the ones who don't come into contact with the other egos."

"Then which are you?" Seán asked quietly.

Dark looked up, fear flashing briefly through his eyes. "W-what is it that you mean?"

"Attraction or hatred? You'e gotta fit into the spectrum somewhere, right?"

Dark stiffened as the bickering within him started up again. He didn't hate anyone except for Mark- the original Mark. And now that he was dead and gone, there wasn't much else to say for it. He couldn't let Seán know that he harboured more than friendly feelings for Anti- he couldn't let  _anyone_  know. The egos would stop listening to him, Seán would likely estrange himself. No, it would be best to remain quiet... "It is not relevant. Has this discussion benefited you?"

_ 'Well, Damien? Attraction or hatred?' _

_'Celine-'_

_ 'You know it isn't the 20's anymore. You could have him if you really wanted him. Yet still you refuse to admit it to yourself. What are you so afraid of? We could rule the world if you'd let go of your stupid emotional attachment to that glitch, but you're living the best of no worlds this way.' _

_'Must you speak so gloatingly about my romantic life, as if you know every detail of it?'_

_ 'Offense intended, but you seem to discuss my own 'romantic life' in the same manner. Or have you forgotten?' _

_'There is a difference between us that you do not comprehend. While I keep my feelings hidden away out of respect for your own, you pay me no similar mind. Do you ever stop to think about whether_ I  _want to be part of your sexual exploits?'_

_ 'You like men, Damien. I'd be more concerned for your side of this argument if you didn't.' _

_'I also like being a male, but your regard for that matter is clearly nonexistent.'_

_'But you must get some enjoyment from it, otherwise you'd step in and stop it! So stop lying to me and yourself! Why do you loathe the nights we spend with him? Hm? Is it because you died a virgin, and you want me to suffer out of spite?'_  

_'Of course that's not-'_

_ 'Is it because Will looks so similar to you and Mark? Is that it?' _

_'You know why.'_

_ 'Oh, It's because you're in  _ love _. Wake up and smell the roses, Damien! We_ can't  _love in this form! The only thing you're accomplishing by staying tied to this realm is keeping us down!'_

_'I wonder if Will would cry if he learned that after all these years, you'd never loved him at all? Were you ever capable of love in the first place, Celine?'_

_ 'You don't know a thing about-!" _

**"Shut up!"** Dark bellowed, clutching the sides of his head  **"Just shut up! Stop whining about your pathetic lives, they're _over_! You're  _never_  going back to the way you used to be!"**

Damien and Celine fell silent. In the distance, a tap dripped water into the sink basin, and it was so quiet that the ticking of the clock began to echo on the white walls. Dark had been so self absorbed that he hadn't noticed Seán was still sitting here, wide eyed and visibly alarmed.

_'Fuck!'_

_ 'Language,' _

"I suppose I owe you full disclosure," Dark sighed regretfully, begging his components to be subdued. He hated this constant battle for control that festered inside of him- hated the arguments and the disagreements... and here in the Groundlands, it seemed that they were only getting worse.

"I... I'll go get some alcohol," Seán muttered, leaving the room quickly.

It was going to be another  _long_ talk.

**~Void~**

**"Blaaaaaze,"**

The fire ego opened his eyes lazily. He didn't sleep- he'd never really tried, truthfully. But he found that the feeling of lying down and doing absolutely nothing was extremely appealing to him. Daniel enjoyed it as well, and since Blaze had returned they'd spent almost every moment at each others' side.

Blaze didn't know how to describe it. When he left Daniel, even to go to another room, something within him urged him to go back. He'd overheat, feel his clothes itching against his warm skin, a very uncomfortable experience. He'd rush back to be beside Daniel, who seemed surprised but never turned him away.

Daniel had told him he felt something similar. As a demon, he was always so cold and empty. When Blaze had left, Daniel told him that talking to Phil just wasn't the same. He craved the heat that followed Blaze, and coincidentally, Blaze longed to rid himself of it.

It was like they were made for each other.

Blaze had a strong idea of what Daniel wanted him to do. They'd ended up on opposite sides of the bed they'd shared since returning, and he felt his side growing increasingly warmer. Daniel must be cold.

But Blaze didn't mind helping at all.

"Come here, baby spoon," Blaze chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Daniel's heavily clothed torso and brought him closer. Daniel hummed contently, snuggling into Blaze's chest.

"You have cold feet," Blaze laughed.

 **"I know,"** Daniel grinned.

"I love it," Blaze whispered, trying his best to sound creepy. To nobody's surprise, Daniel just snorted.

 **"I know,"**  he repeated.

Blaze feared that one day, they would have to give each other space. Whether he wanted it or not. But today wasn't that day, and he could hold his walking ice pack boyfriend for as long as he wanted.

 **"It'd be nice to live in a house that doesn't collapse,"** Daniel hummed softly, enjoying the warmth of Blaze's chest on his back.  **"Guess that's a luxury most don't have."**

"The first night I spent in the Groundlands was crazy," Blaze agreed. "Looking out, seeing the city... I had no idea how anyone could support that with their mind power. Sometimes... sometimes I wish we lived there. It's just so... what's the opposite of empty?"

 **"Full,"**  Daniel commented.

"You know what I mean," Blaze snorted. "Full just makes it sound like it's bursting. But here, there's just so much... nothing, and once you see a world so expansive and limitless, it's really hard to come back... you know?"

 **"I don't need anything but you to be happy,"** Daniel mumbled.  **"But I know how important this must be to you. I promise, I'll do whatever's in my power to make you feel happy as I am here."**

Blaze flushed. "I... you don't have to-"

 **"I want to,"** Daniel finished.  **"Are you blushing?"**

Blaze gave in, sighing against Daniel's neck. "Maybe,"

 **"Good,"** Daniel smiled.  **"I love it."**

"You dork,"

**"Bright spark,"**

"Edgelord,"

 **"Ooh, ouch,"**  Daniel hissed sarcastically.  **"You kiss your mother with that mouth?"**

"No," Blaze snickered. "I kiss  _you_ with that mouth. And you love it."

Daniel smirked, turning around and kissing Blaze softly as if to confirm his point. It was truly the sweetest bliss...

 **"I love it,"**  Daniel affirmed.  **"Do you want to get up now and have a walk?"**

"Pfft, we have time," Blaze sighed lazily, holding Daniel close to him as he stretched.

 **"All the time in the world,"**  Daniel agreed, resting his head on Blaze's chest.

Soon, they'd get up and figure themselves out. But for now, they just wanted to relax.

Neither could know that their time of relaxation was soon to come to a close.


	7. Chapter 6

**~Groundlands~**

"I apologise for my earlier outburst, it must have caused you quite a lot of stress," Dark said, not having moved from his position on the couch. Seán did the first thing he could think of when Dark had lost his composure- he'd gone to fetch more booze and had found that his supply was significantly depleted. All that was left was a few pints of Jack Daniels, which he carried mournfully into the room. He supposed he was going to need it for this.

 _All this day drinking can't be good for my health_ , he mused.  _But then, is possession good for it either?_

"It took me by surprise, yeah." Seán responded, setting down his glass of liquor. "Honestly, I don't even know what's going on anymore."

"Trust me when I say it goes deeper," Dark sighed regretfully. "I understand if you decide not to trust me after this. Your welcoming nature has been tried by my presence, I can tell."

"Just spill, dude," Seán urged. He took a long swig of his drink, cringing at the bitterness before downing the rest of the glass. Good Lord, what was this week coming to?

Dark sighed once more, beginning his tale.

"I, as Dark, am a manifestation that acts as one. But I am not one- rather, there are four very distinct components of my being. My body, which belongs to someone long forgotten that I find I sorely miss. The demon that holds this form together. And the souls of two humans, lost to time. Damien and Celine- they... they were siblings, when they were still alive."

"You're... what?" Seán asked, not really understanding it. So Dark wasn't a demon after all? What was he  _really_?

"While the body cannot act of its own accord, the spirits can. When the demon fails to control them, this form becomes weak and unstable, and... until recently, I have existed without internal turmoil, but since Mark died, I have become... divided."

Seán felt his heart drop momentarily as he fumbled with his words. "Mark as in our Mark? No, I talked to him last night, how can...?"

"No," Dark denied quickly, shaking his head. Seán let out a breath of relief.

"The Mark you know is different, innocent. The Mark that I am referring to was a liar and a fraud. He met his demise in the late 1970s, after years of hiding away from me and my quest for vengeance."

"...Right," Seán said, taking another swig of his drink. He really should buy some more. He had a feeling that having Dark stay here was only going to be more stressful with time.

_Then why aren't you throwing him out?_

Seán looked at the ego, who had started to talk again. He couldn't just cast him out- even if he did break the mirror earlier. He was a kind enough man, it seemed. It wouldn't be right to abandon him, especially after Mark's words last night.

Dark continued, seeming not to have noticed Seán's dilemma. "After this, I sought out my dear friend William, who had been close with both of my mortal components. You see, after my main purpose was fulfilled, what else had I to do in this world? He had gone through quite a few pseudonyms, but eventually I located him posing as one 'Wilford Warfstache' in Los Angeles."

"So Warfstache is alive too," Seán groaned to himself. " _Great_. How could he be there before Mark created him?"

"Will and I were once mortal," Dark explained. "Though some... unusual circumstances caused us to retain our youth and our drive through all these years. Mark merely adopted us and took inspiration from our stories, his subscribers making us just as much egos as the rest of his own. I found him, and persuaded him to live alongside me in the endless void in which demons reside. There, we stayed, until Mark learned about us. But that doesn't explain my loss of self control, I know..."

Dark let out a heavy sigh. "I assume you've watched Mark's 'Who Killed Markiplier' series?" 

"Yeah, but I thought it wasn't meant to end up like-"

"When I saw the opportunity to release mine and Will's real history to the fans, I appeared to Mark and explained what had really happened that night. It was convenient that the venue they had chosen for the filming was what currently remains of the home that the deceased Mark had once owned. Mark was  _inspired_ by my past. Truly, I had hoped that this information would cure Will of his memory issues, but alas, he remains deranged and blind to his surroundings."

Seeing that Seán remained silent, Dark continued. His mind was whirring, but Dark felt it was insensitive to pry. One worry seemed to surface, and Dark prepared to answer it. Surely, the man would no longer trust him after this... but it was something that Seán wanted to know.

"Both Damien and Celine sought revenge against the man who had caused their demise, each having had... a personal relationship with him, that hurt all the more when he turned on them. Their intent fueled me and I finally destroyed him with a contained fire in his apartment, but after that, the souls had no common goal. Celine wished to roam as a free spirit, return to the body she'd been forced to leave in the manor, be free to start a new life. Damien knew that his body was lost, but was determined to be a positive influence on people nonetheless. But neither can break from this form, and so both have been harassing me with their piteous disagreements for the last forty years."

"What were they disagreeing about?" Seán asked quietly after pondering on that answer for a few moments.

Dark didn't want to disclose the truth. But at the same time, it was all he longed to do... he wanted to talk about his feelings with someone who wouldn't judge him for them, and Seán seemed to be the best candidate for that. He silently wished that Damien and Celine would agree on something, for  _once.._. It would only hurt him to say the words that were now spewing forth.

"My love life," Dark sighed, gritting his teeth. "It is one of many matters that they cannot let sit. It is painful enough feeling longing for one person while in the bed of another. But arguing with myself about it for years is causing me to question whether love is really worth anything at all."

There was silence for a few moments. Then, Seán stood and walked over to Dark, sitting beside him on the couch.

"I still trust you," the man sighed. "Though I probably shouldn't. But when I was talking to Mark last night, he said you'd be diplomatic and objectively cruel. That you'd put on an impressive demeanor, but you've been nothing but kind and apologetic when things go wrong. I think you're tired. Well not sleepy-tired, but... exhausted? Caring for all the egos and maintaining a place for them can't be good for your health. And combined with the stress of listening to them argue... shit, Dark. You're too tired to even intimidate properly."

"That I am," Dark agreed. This was the only thing that Damien, Celine, the demon, and his body could not deny. "But when a responsibility is your own, you do all in your power to fulfill it. I am no exception to that moral principle..."

"Come on, you have to relax," Seán insisted. "I'll put on the TV, get you some ice cream. Maybe that's why you can't go back. You're in no state to be hopping across dimensions like this,"

Dark chuckled, finding himself relaxing into the couch. "You're really too good to me, Seán."

As the man left the room, Dark could hear the voices in his head whispering to each other.

_'Are you sure we should take our time getting back?'_

_ 'Damien, you said it yourself. They can't die.' _

_'Yes, but last time we left someone alone for too long he became so ill that he never recovered.'_

_ 'Stop thinking about him. I'm serious. He's been nothing but a thorn in our side since the day we found him stumbling around in the Void.' _

_'That's a lie. He was better company than the likes of you, and I bet he still is.'_

_ 'Do all of our talks have to end in a fight? I just want to relax, and you should too. Spending all of your time looking after other people isn't good for you. Let me take control, just this once...' _

_'No. If we're going to relax, nobody needs to be in control.'_

Dark felt the voices die down and noticed that both his red and blue aura were subdued. Even the demon had nothing to say.

No constant ringing in his ears, no flashing lights... was this what peace felt like?

He let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. Yes. For the first time in decades, he was one being.

"Thank you, Seán," he said when Seán entered the room again. "Now go and do what you need to do. Don't let me keep you back any longer."

Seán didn't look convinced. "You sure you're okay on your own?"

"Come now," Dark chuckled. "I may be from the early 20th century, but I can work a television like any of you hipsters,"

"Oh God, please don't try to be millennial ever again," Seán snorted. Maybe, this arrangement wouldn't be so bad.

Oh, how wrong he was...

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

Mark ran his fingers through his hair, angry at a lot of things, though it was mainly himself. He usually played up his emotions for the camera, but today he really meant it when he groaned loudly into the wall- no recording equipment in sight.

Fuck this week. Fuuuck it so muuuuch. It had been days since he'd started signing his goddamn tasteful nudes calendars, his hand ached for hours after he left the room, and the piles of paper cuts waiting to happen never seemed to grow smaller. How many thousand had he signed now? 20? He couldn't help but feel that was a hopeful overestimation, considering the stacks upon stacks of calendars seemed only to expand the longer he looked at them.

And not only that- oh trust me, that was still a lot- Mark had recieved a call from Jack just after he'd made it home yesterday, explaining that Dark was somehow with him in Brighton.

Mark butted his head against the wall in frustration.

His hand ached like there was no tomorrow, his body felt trapped and claustrophobic in this room, and now one of his evil alter egos was out and wreaking havoc in England. Fucking  _England_.

_How the fuck did he even get to England?_

Mark wasn't surprised that he really existed- no, not at all. Dark had existed long before he had, after all. Mark had seen him on occasion when he was growing up, always scowling, glaring at him and his brother. Never changing. Sure, it was weird. But Mark had known weirder.

Now, he was mainly concerned that Dark was even here at all.

The last time they'd spoken was months ago. At the castle they'd managed to rent just in time for their shooting of Who Killed Markiplier- when Mark had been roughly pulled aside and out of earshot, far away from the grounds.

The memory flooded back, clear as the day he'd made it.

_"Why have you come here?" Dark had demanded, observing the rest of Mark's friends warily as they oohed and ahhed at the venue._

_"Jesus, man, we're filming a skit," Mark explained. "You know, that's kinda what I do."_

_"Why. Here." Dark reiterated. Mark could see his auras struggling to contain themselves in his body, like they had a mind of their own..._

_"I don't know," Mark huffed in annoyance. "Ethan found it, it fit the bill."_

_"Oh, it fits the bill," Dark sneered. "It fits the bill_ rather  _well. This house is evil, and you'd best stay away from it if you know what's good for you."_

_Mark blinked. "I... was that a threat? Really?"_

_Dark grimaced and cracked his neck, fidgeting with his cane. "No, you_ idiot _. It was a warning. This house will do things to you that you never would have thought possible, just like it did to him!"_

_"Him?" Mark asked. "Uh... who, Warfstache?"_

_Dark sighed. "He too, has fallen prey to the traps set by demons in this house. I was lucky to escape it when I did, otherwise..."_

_Dark flexed his fingers, as if making sure they were still there. Suddenly, his voice grew deeper, his snarl wider._

_**"This body is a better vessel than that cursed house,"** he spat.  **"Leave it and find another place. I warn you for the last time."**_

_"I can't," Mark huffed. "We've already paid- and it wasn't cheap, thank you."_

_"Then film in a low budget warehouse," Dark hissed. "I'm leaving now- this place is calling me to return, and that is the last thing I want to do. If you are too foolish to heed my warnings, then so be it. Perhaps your bloodline can now come to rest as it should have done all those years ago..."_

That was the last time Mark had seen him in person, but Dark never truly left him. He was there, within Mark's body, giving him information and fighting something ghastly from invading his mind. Mark had never figured out what, but he knew after a few days just how it was impacting his friends. Dark hadn't been lying. Something evil was in that house.

It was from Dark that Mark had been inspired to change his ideas. To base the story he'd tell on a real one- well, as real and reliable as Dark was, anyway. But since the last day of filming, Dark had been silent.

_It's just- why fucking Brighton?_

Mark understood that shit had clearly gone down and it wasn't anything at all like Dark's usual visits. Jack had sounded jumpy and rushed when he was talking, and he really only did that when he was scared. Also, considering it was really late in England at the time, Mark knew that something must be wrong before he even picked up the phone. He just never would have guessed it was ego stuff, though...

Something involving Anti, something involving Dan and Phil? The details had been scrambled in his post-calendar depression and he couldn't recall them. Even now, when it would have made life so much easier to start on the calendars immediately, he'd been banging his head against the wall for the last ten minutes, deep in thought and maddened.

 _I could have signed, like, 100 calendars by now,_  he huffed to himself, sitting down in his chair and picking up a purple marker.

He didn't know how long it had been, sitting alone in this room, but he jumped a mile high when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Whoa, hey," Amy said, retreating. "Calm yourself, I don't bite."

Mark sighed and rested his head in his hands. "Hi," he greeted. Looking up at the window, he could see that the sun was on its way down.

Amy held out a box of pizza, and Mark shoved the pile of calendars he'd been signing to the side. His stomach growled like he hadn't eaten in weeks.

"You look like hell," Amy said, concerned. "You did sleep, right?"

Mark didn't expect his back to crack the way it did as he sat up, grabbing a slice of the generic cheese pizza and taking a bite.

"Yeah," he eventually gasped out. "I slept. Not very well, but hey, who sleeps well in exile, am I right..."

"Mark, this isn't good for your health," Amy sighed.

Mark smiled softly. "I know. Nothing I do is good for my health."

"You wanna talk about it?"

Mark bit his lip. He'd told Amy already about Dark's existence. How could he not- the man literally seemed to follow him everywhere at one point. Tyler knew as well, but Ethan had remained oblivious. Though nobody else seemed to know that Warfstache was real, too. Mark supposed it was a lot to handle. But this was Amy. He could trust her with anything.

"It's Dark," Mark sighed.

Amy raised an eyebrow. "Is he here to help you sign your calendars?"

Mark snorted. "I fucking wish, he's in one of the pictures..."

Amy slapped him playfully. "I bet you never told him because you knew you couldn't pull off his look without that suit. You just didn't want to face the humiliation."

"Shut uuuup," Mark sighed, though he was smiling. He hadn't asked Dark to set foot near a camera since the exploding incident of 2015, and somehow knew the man wouldn't be pleased if asked to do a nude photoshoot.

"Well, what about him?" Amy pressed.

"He's with Jack," Mark hummed, eating another slice. He hadn't realised exactly how hungry he was here.

"With Jack as in... in Brighton?" Amy asked, tilting her head. "How'd he end up there?"

Mark shook his head. "I don't know, I really don't. But Jack's already got a lot on his plate and for some reason he thinks that Dark can't leave. I don't know what game he thinks he's playing this time, but-"

"So this is what's got you stressing out," Amy mused. "I should've known something was up from the way you looked. Even signing all these damn things hasn't brought you so much anxiety."

"It's come close," Mark grumbled.

Amy picked up one of the signed calendars and chuckled. "Mark, look what you've done,"

Mark looked up, and after a few seconds of focusing he finally understood. Some of the calendars were signed with 'Dark'.

"Oh well, they'll think it's part of the lore," Mark dismissed. "I just... I don't know what to think of this mess. I'm too busy to take time to sort it out, and if I don't, it just feels like I'm being irresponsible. He's  _my_ damn ego."

"Seán's a big boy," Amy nudged. "He'll be fine. Right now you're under enough stress as it is, maybe I can get a hold of him."

"Maybe," Mark mumbled, picking up the calendars again. "Thanks, Amy. I'd go insane without you."

Amy chuckled. "You already have,"

Mark smiled. Yeah, he supposed he might have.

"Can't wait until I'm out of this room," Mark yawned, stretching out in his chair. "Maybe I should put it behind me. Jack will call if he has any issues... right?"

"I'm sure he will," Amy smiled, ruffling his hair. "Take it easy, okay?"

Mark sighed and hugged Amy tightly before she left. "Okay," he promised.

If only it was as easily said as it was done.


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some German dialogue here but it's translated in the end note <3

**~Void~**

"Henrik!"

Dr. Iplier knelt beside the shuddering form of his boyfriend, throwing his arms around him and holding him tightly where he sat. The windows around them were lit softly as mindless chatter filled the room of egos inside, but the doctor only had eyes for the weeping man before him.

He'd left in such a hurry that the doctor genuinely didn't know how to approach him. He was certain that Henrik was distraught- naturally, this was a blow to him, and everything he'd worked for. Dr. Iplier felt remorse as well for suggesting what he did, but he also knew what was best.

He was a doctor, after all.

"Good God, Hen, are you alright?" he asked, checking his love over for any injuries. With the way he'd stormed out of the room, one could never be too careful.

And Henrik finally looked up and met his eyes. Tears spilled without respite from him and his face was red and blotchy, his mask barely pulled up to hide it. He didn't look good. Dr. Iplier had never seen him so distraught. Truthfully, he had no idea of the emotions running through Henrik's mind. And he hated it.

"Doc, you didn't have to follow me," Henrik chuckled weakly as Dr. Iplier brushed his tears away solemnly.

"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I let you leave in this state alone?" Dr. Iplier questioned, satisfied that physically, his fellow doctor was fine.

Henrik smiled, but the corners of his mouth didn't quite reach where they used to. "Danke schön," he mumbled, his voice cracking. "Es tut mir leid, mein Schatz... I vas... shaken."

"I could tell," Dr. Iplier sighed, noticing how the languages blurred together in his lover's speech. He must have been so troubled that he wasn't caring which words came out, only that his feelings were conveyed justly.

"This news is certainly disheartening. I don't blame you for reacting the way you did, it's not every day you find out your brother is..."

Dr. Iplier didn't even want to say the word. It wasn't something that Chase as they knew him would ever stoop to. How could he? He was so kind and happy, so full of life and joy...

 _But mental illness isn't forgiving when it takes hold,_  the doctor reminded himself. Perhaps even Wilford was once enjoyable to be around. He supposed only Dark would know that.

Henrik whimpered and the doctor wiped some stray tears again. He hated seeing him like this, hated seeing  _anyone_  like this...

"I don't vant to break him any further, Doc. I... how can ve continue like zis?"

Dr. Iplier hesitated, before biting his lip. He knew he shouldn't push the point, but what else could they really do? "We'll have to tell him, Hen,"

"Nein, Ich werde nicht," Henrik refused, shivering. "Er ist mein Bruder, Liebling... Er ist nicht... Er kann nicht..."

He was breathing heavily, sweat beads forming due to the pressure of the denial. Dr. Iplier hushed him softly, holding his clammy hands tightly as he tried to breathe through his state of panic. He hadn't felt so helpless about his boyfriend since the time Anti had murdered him, and at that point they'd only just started dating. Now, it had been over a year and a half since they'd gotten together, and Doc's feelings were quite clear. He couldn't think of spending a moment without Henrik- not now, not  _ever_... they'd become so entwined with each others' lives that it would be impossible to live without him.

Needless to say, he felt even worse about his lover's troubled state now than he had at first...

"Chase ist kein Mörder," Henrik finalised, blinking away the tears. "He's not. He... He  _can't_..."

"Love, you're very stressed right now," Dr. Iplier mumbled worriedly, cupping Henrik's cheek. "Perhaps we should retire for the day, take time to process the situation. I... I do believe it is in our best interests to tell him the truth."

Their eyes met for the second time, and Dr. Iplier could tell something was wrong. The fire in Henrik's eyes was bright, but not in a way he'd known. And he prided himself on knowing all of the positive smiles and expressions that Henrik possessed. This drive, this  _disharmony_... that's what this was. In all their time together, Dr. Iplier had never seen him so upset. Not even with Anti, when he'd finally returned to realise that his own brother had murdered him...

 _It's because of me_ , Dr. Iplier swallowed. His heart sunk in his chest.

"Wirklich?! You vould look zat man in die Augen und tell ihn zat he is a killer?!"

Dr. Iplier didn't know how to respond. His boyfriend was mad, mad at  _him_ , and nothing he could do would probably help his case. He had to admit it was unlikely that the German doctor would have agreed to tell Chase, regardless of his mental state, but Dr. Iplier was just that. A  _doctor_. Withholding such information from a patient was blasphemous and unjust, and Henrik really had no right to do what he wanted with this case.

"Henrik, please calm down so we can talk about this-"

"Zhere is nothing to say!" Henrik sobbed, going red in the face from crying. "He's mein  _Bruder_ , Doc! I vill not cause him ze same Trauer zat Anti lebt!"

"You're sinking back into your roots, Hen," Dr. Iplier noted, concerned tears of stress welling in his eyes. "You only do that when you're angry or tense, and I don't want this to be hard for us, okay? I know how you're feeling, but... but we have to work through it,"

Henrik laughed sarcastically, choking slightly on his tears. "If you know how I feel, zhen vhy würdest das sagen?"

Dr. Iplier shook his head, guilt pooling in his stomach. He'd been trying to work on learning the German language, and he'd made decent headway- but Henrik still managed to surprise him with phrases that he wasn't so familiar wit. "Love, you know I haven't learned the language yet. I'm sorry, I really am, but-"

"If you tell him, he vill be crushed." Henrik stammered, visibly trying to restrain his native tongue, at least a little regretful for causing the conversation to be uncomfortable. "Er... He vill do just vhat Anti did. He vill distance himself from us, Doc, Ich... I..."

"I hardly think that Chase will have the same reaction as Anti," Dr. Iplier tried to soothe. The reaction was like throwing wood on a roaring fire to smother it out.

"Und vhat makes you say zat?!" Henrik asked incredulously, stare unwavering. "Is it zat you are biased? Komm, weißt du zat Anti vas once happy und lachend wie er es tut! Und schau ihn jetzt! How could you forget zat?"

Loose translations fluttered through Dr. Iplier's mind as he scrambled to find an appropriate response to Henrik's agitated words. He cursed himself for not pushing the extra mile when it came to learning his lover's language...

_You know that Anti was happy?_

_And... now?_

"What do you mean, now?" Dr. Iplier asked. "Anti is dangerous, Henrik! He might have been innocent once, but was  _never_  happy with his brothers until he was standing over your bleeding corpse, laughing like a madman! You don't know him like I do, Hen-"

"Zat is not true!" Henrik denied, and they were all but shouting now. The chattering of the egos inside had quietened, and Doc knew that they were listening in.

"It is  _you_  who is not knowing!" Henrik denied. "Anti ist mein Freund! Ich liebe ihn just like ich liebe alle meine Geschwister!"

"Well maybe if you could love Chase enough to tell him the truth this would be easy!" Dr. Iplier returned, frustrated. It wasn't a question of Henrik's love for his family- the doctor knew that the small place he held in the German's heart was nothing compared to the hole left by Anti when he was outcast. Yet despite his emotional upheaval, he was being childish and unreasonable by continuing to argue this point...

"Wie wagen Sie?!" Henrik growled, fists clenched. "Vhat are you saying?!"

"I'm not saying anything!" Dr. Iplier protested, trying to fight down his own frustration at the situation that was unfolding. The lights in the house flickered as the doctors argued, but neither took any notice. The voices were gone, and all that remained in the void around them was the sound of silence and the adrenaline coursing through their veins.

"Just..." Dr. Iplier sighed, shaking his head. "Look. I'm a doctor. I know what's best-"

"Ich bin auch ein doktor!"

"You say you are, but if you could act objectively about this instead of inhibiting the healing process I might be inclined to believe you!"

Henrik gasped softly, tears falling from his eyes as if he'd been slapped. Dr. Iplier realised a little late what impact his careless words must have had on the poor doctor. The poor doctor, who was always defensive about his credentials, and who Dr. Iplier had never hesitated to comfort when he was feeling low about it...

The poor doctor, who'd learned everything he knew from Doc himself.

"Hen, wait, I..." Dr. Iplier started, but faltered. He knew that trying to apologise was futile, his damage had been done. How could he have let this happen? They  _never_  fought- they never argued, they... they were one of the only stable couples here. This couldn't be how it ended...  _right_?

"I... I sink ve should spend some time apart," Henrik uttered, walking away in tears.

Dr. Iplier didn't follow him, this time. He sunk to his knees again, barely having noticed they'd been standing. Tears of his own flooded down his cheeks as he stifled his own irrational gasps and sobs,  _determined_ not to cry out. What kind of example would that set for the others?

He was certain that they'd been heard. The argument had taken place just outside, after all. Whether the other egos had understood Henrik's thick accent and language switches was another thing altogether.

Beside him, Dr. Iplier saw a split in the plaster that coated the walls. His heart sunk.

They had to keep it together.

But how could they, when they were so distant?

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

"The Host is curious as to what Robbie is doing sitting in the Host's lap. It was a sudden movement that frightened the blindfolded man, as he could not see the ego coming. But the Host does not mind the company."

Robbie murmured his response slowly and softly, words that none of his brothers, or even the other Ipliers could ever seem to understand. He could speak well enough if he tried, but he found it was no use... his voice tended to slur his words beyond recognition anyway. His head of purple hair rested against the Host's chest, hearing the rise and fall of the older ego's heart. Robbie wished that his own heartbeat could be as strong one day...

Host found himself smiling, narrating the events so that neither had to sit in discomfort or confusion.

"Robbie tells the Host that he was awoken by shouting from the outside of the house, and noticed a sizable crack in the wall beside him. The Host agrees that the shouting was very loud, and it is no wonder that the younger ego was startled. While the Host cannot see the wall, he is certain that Robbie would never lie to him."

Robbie smiled appreciatively in return, nuzzling into Host's soothing embrace. Host knew what Robbie was going to ask before he even opened his mouth, but waited patiently for Robbie's sentence to finish before narrating over him.

"The shouting was merely a disagreement between the two doctors, The Host assures his friend. He offers to let Robbie stay with him while the other egos are busy, as the Host has noticed that Robbie often feels left out."

Robbie nodded softly against Host's chest so that the older ego would know he'd agreed.

"The Host asks if Robbie would like to hear a story,"

Robbie grinned in excitement, and Host chuckled fondly as the smaller ego nestled completely into his form. They fit together in the sleeping bag like a jigsaw puzzle. The zombie ego had taken quite a liking to him, it seemed. When the other egos left them alone for their differences, they ended up enjoying each other's company, and became fast friends. Maybe even something more?

Host quickly closed his mouth, not realising that he'd been narrating the entire time. It was hard to keep track of his tendency to voice what was happening, especially when secrets and thoughts needed to be hidden from certain people. It was one of the reasons he'd been so isolated in the first place. Nobody enjoys hanging out with a snitch, even an unwilling one.

"Maybe that's why he liked Robbie so much. The zombie ego was simply so pure and sweet that he had no secrets to hide. He was unafraid of the consequence of growing close to The Host, and The Host was thankful to have such an amazing person in his life."

Robbie smiled again. He loved hearing Host's voice, it was very soothing. These genuine thoughts that the blind ego was voicing seemed to warm Robbie's cold heart more than any story could, so he didn't draw Host's attention back to it. 

"The Host notices that he has been procrastinating starting the story, and hopes that he has not caused Robbie any discomfort. Despite The Host's worry, Robbie assures him that it is fine."

"Hey, have you two- well, one, I guess- seen Schneep anywhere? We heard some shouting and we can't find him  _or_  his boyfriend,"

Robbie looked up to see his older brother, Marvin, looking extremely concerned. Yandereplier rubbed sleepily at his eyes, hand linked with the magician's as he lazily surveyed the room. Robbie shrugged, knowing that Host would tell them what they needed to know before Robbie could even open his mouth.

"The Host reminds the magician that despite his blindness, he is still a person," The Host muttered, irritated. "The Host tells the interrupting egos that the doctors are outside, and urges them to leave him and his friend to their prior activities."

Marvin snorted, shaking his head in amusement. "Yeah, like you two are just  _friends_ ,"

Robbie raised his eyebrows, and felt the Host's arms around him tighten. He leaned into the touch, enjoying the warmth seeping into his cold, undead body.

"The Host doesn't like what you are insinuating," The Host replied with a small sneer.

"Just leave them to it, Marvy," Yandereplier yawned. Marvin smiled at the pet name, but it didn't quite reach his eyes...

The Host smirked. "The Host feels it would be wise to leave before he voices the magician's concerns and doubts about-"

Marvin shook his head again, eyes widening, and dragged Yandereplier away, walking outside in haste.

Robbie sighed contently and hugged Host around the middle, resting himself softly on top of the older ego.

"The Host enjoys the comforting embrace that Robbie is sharing with him, and decides that the story can wait. The Host would like to savour this moment with his friend before the inevitable disruption by the other occupants of the house."

Robbie hesitated, before cautiously leaning up to press a small kiss to the underside of Host's jaw. He felt like Host was someone he was close enough with to show his affection this way- and the feeling was quite mutual. Host had often given him affectionate touches and kisses in the past, after all.

The Host didn't say anything, but Robbie could see that his cheeks were a little pinker, and he was smiling. Robbie smiled too, leaning further into his heat. He didn't know what they were- friends, more? Lovers? Not  _quite_. But Robbie felt that labels didn't matter, not when there are infinite words to describe a relationship that makes it interesting and unique. He was content with Host. And Host was content with him.

And really, Robbie could wish for nothing better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Es tut mir leid, mein Schatz"- I'm sorry, my treasure
> 
> "Ich werde nicht, Er ist mein Bruder, Liebling... Er ist nicht... Er kann nicht..."- I will not, he is my brother, darling... he isn't... he can't...
> 
> "Chase ist kein Mörder"- Chase is not a murderer
> 
> "Wirklich! You would look zat man in die Augen und tell him zat he is a killer?"- You're kidding me! You would look that man in the eyes and tell him that he is a killer?
> 
> "I vill not cause him ze same Trauer zat Anti lebt"- I will not cause him the same distress that Anti lives with
> 
> "If you know how I feel, zhen vhy würdest das sagen?"- If you know how I feel, why would you say that?
> 
> "Is it zat you are biased? Komm, weißt du zat Anti vas once happy und lachend wie er es tut! Und schau ihn jetzt! How could you forget zat?"- Is it that you are biased? Come, you know that Anti was once happy and laughing like he does! And look at him now! How could you forget that?
> 
> "It is you who is not knowing! Anti ist mein Freund! Ich liebe ihn just like ich liebe alle meine Geschwister!"- It is you that is not knowing! Anti is my friend! I love him just like I love all of my siblings!
> 
> "Wie wagen Sie?!"- How dare you?!
> 
> "Ich bin auch ein doktor!"- I am also a doctor!


	9. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter alludes to non-consensual sexual relationships, but it isn't explicitly described.

**~Groundlands~**

Muffled gasps and groans sounded from the next room, while Dark sat alone in his bed, trying with all his might to block them out. It wasn't his right to listen. But how could he not, when the sinful moans only caused his own body to become aroused? His brief taste of singularity had lasted through to the evening, but as soon as he picked up on what was happening next door, he knew his components would have yet another thing to argue about. He cursed himself for not remaining in Seán's living room a little longer. He could have avoided these mixed feelings of arousal, pity, and anger. But how was he to know that Seán would be... and so  _loudly_ , too?

_ 'He's quite loud,' _

_'Why are you listening?'_

_ 'I could ask you the same question, church boy.' _

_'I don't claim to be free of sin, Celine, but I cannot leave this room without your consent, currently, as we have equal share of this form.'_

**'If you could sort out your piteous differences so that we can return to the Void, it will be far less tiresome. And a great deal less annoying for me.'**

_ 'Don't be silly, Damien. I can see your thoughts, you dirty boy.' _

_'And I see your intentions. I refuse to even contemplate it, Celine. You're sick.'_

_ 'Don't act innocent with me, brother. His noises are getting to you whether you want to believe it or not. Is it because he's so similar to your precious glitch? You're imagining Anti making these sounds, aren't you?' _

_'Why?'_

_ 'Why what?' _

_'Why are you making this more difficult than it needs to be?'_

Dark scoffed aloud. _ "Yes, it's definitely _me _that's making this difficult."_

_'Just because I don't want to tarnish our reputation with adultery doesn't mean I'm difficult.'_

_ 'I bet you're  _ really _fun in bed, Damien.'_

_'Thanks to certain others that occupy this form, I suppose I'll never know.'_

But despite Damien's cool and unwavering tone, Dark could feel it. The pit of longing that had manifested inside him long before he'd even met Anti. The way he'd been so frustrated when he'd been torn between his love for William and their friendship, even though Will would never truly understand who he really was in the first place. Memories of the first time Dark had located him flooded his mind as Damien and Celine were forced to sit through the event that had separated them so severely in the first place...

_It was the early hours of the morning, but Dark hadn't needed sleep in years. It had been a grueling few months, but he'd finally found him. William. Alive, after all this time, despite any of the laws of nature. Dark had seen people be born, then wither and die while he remained the same. He felt that some part of him had always wanted to be young forever. Now, he was living his dream._

_Then why did he feel so empty?_

_He ran his hand through his dyed hair, some part of him filling with disgust as he walked inside the bar. He'd had mixed feelings about colouring it, but it seemed like a popular trend of the time. Along with the leather jacket he'd donned, Dark felt like the people around him wouldn't approach him for fear of being mugged. The ones that did?_

_Well, they got what they had coming for them._

_But now, after his ultimate goal was fulfilled, what use was there in blending with the crowd? Dark was conscious of something inside of him that yearned to return to a place that humans could only dream about. A parallel reality, a void, where demons and psychological terrors alike thrived in endless space._

_Dark wanted to go there, but something held him back. Some part of him that he couldn't quite explain, and it was fear. Dark almost scoffed. He didn't feel fear. He didn't feel anything but malice._

_And now that he had no reason to be vengeful? He felt... nothing._

_"Hey there handsome,"_

_Here he was. William, but not as Dark remembered him. The man he'd once been familiar with was a strong, fine gentleman who served in the military and hunted for sport. The one before him seemed like he, also, had changed irreparably with the times._

_His hair was tucked securely beneath a wig designed to look like the typical disco hairdo of the decade. His mustache turned pink at the ends, curling upwards almost like a handlebar mustache that the old soldiers wore during the war. His Colonel outfit had been left behind, long forgotten, and in its place was a striking pink shirt with bright yellow trousers that flared out past the knee._

_He looked like the front cover of Time magazine, but to Dark, he just looked lost._

_"You come here often?"_

_Dark didn't realise that he had been staring until William waved his hands in front of his face, grinning like a doped up auto crash victim. He raised his eyebrows, trying to determine what his response to the obvious flirting should be. Whatever effect it might have had on him when he was back in the 20's was lost, and Dark felt nothing but numbness._

_"Because," William purred, stepping closer than Dark might have liked anyone else to be. "I'm about to come here right now,"_

_Dark coughed as he felt himself flush, the loud chatter and techno-music drowning away as he breathed, the sudden shock of adrenaline making him curious and hungry for more..._

_What was that?_

_"Shy one, aren't we?" William chuckled, swirling a martini in one hand while the other slung around Dark's shoulder. What was wrong with him? He felt so... divided. A part of him wanted to join in, take this as far as he could dream it would go. Another felt sickened, pained, as if the thought of being involved with the man before him was the last thing he wanted to do._

_He tried to shake himself out of it. He was here to convince this man to live with him in the void, not to question his newly forming sexuality._

_"Perhaps," Dark answered. "You seem familiar. Have we met before?"_

_"You'll have to forgive me, chap, but I don't recall talking to such a gorgeous man in my lifetime,"_

_It was as though Dark had ingested sour milk. His stomach turned half in butterflies and half in worry, cursing himself for his reactions to the smooth talking. He'd never felt this way before. At least, not in this form._

_William must have sensed his distress, as he swiftly broke the established silence with his cheery tone._

_"They call me Wilford Warfstache," he grinned, mustache twitching with his muscle movements. "You're welcome to do the same if it pleases you,"_

_Dark felt as though he'd been slapped but he couldn't imagine why. He hadn't expected to be hit with such an extreme case of deja vu, it seemed. But the name change alarmed him a little more than it should have. Hearing the words leave his mouth had solidified what he'd heard in the article he'd found... why had William done this?_

_"W-Wilford?" Dark had stammered. "What a... unique name,"_

_William- no, Wilford- winked slyly at him. Dark didn't know how to_ feel _._

_"Ah, you seem surprised, my good fellow," he said. "What's troubling you, friend? You drink?"_

_"Red wine," Dark answered with a sigh, and Wilford gestured for the bartender._

_The man was unpleasant looking as they came, and sneered unhelpfully at the two as he seemed to note their close proximity._

_"We don't serve fairies here, punk." He spat at Dark, who clenched his fists in response to the slur. Wilford rolled his eyes, his hold on Dark seeming to tighten protectively. Didn't he know that Dark could protect himself?_

_No. Dark supposed he didn't remember a thing..._

_"Now, is there any need for name calling here? We're just out to have a good time, friend-"_

_"You wanna take this outside, fruitcake?"_

_Dark stood angrily, grabbing Wilford's hand in his own. It felt less at home than he remembered, but it would have to do._

_"Come on, Will," he seethed, unable to bring himself to call him by his chosen name. "Let's get away from these simple-minded fools."_

_Wilford grinned cheekily. "My place or yours?"_

_Before Dark could answer, he found himself facing a wall in a brightly lit apartment. How had that happened? It seemed that Dark wasn't the only one with strange, otherworldly abilities in this bizarre future..._

_He turned around to see Wilford lying on a modest bed, lights hanging from the ceiling and a radio playing smooth tunes from the corner of the room. There was also a desk with a typewriter sitting on it, along with several papers and a bookshelf filled with various works. Wilford lazily set down his martini on the bedside table and stretched as if he'd been sitting there for hours._

_"Now I must apologise for this hasty welcome," he drawled. "I usually wait until after the first date, if and when they survive that long. But you seem to be made of stronger stuff,"_

_"How did you do that?" Dark asked, not being fooled by Will's proposition. Regardless of how it made him crave love and attention like he'd never felt before, he was here on a mission._

_"Do what?" Wilford asked, genuinely seeming not to understand. Surely, Wilford knew what he'd done._

_"A minute ago I was standing in a bar, and now I appear to be in your lodging." Dark said, struggling to contain his frustration._

_"You mean you don't remember? Oh, what a shame! It was quite the fight," Wilford grinned with the air of reminiscence. "The way you beat that guy like the scum he was, wow! Really brought me back to the good old days in the military, m'boy. What do you do for a living, hm? Tell me about yourself,"_

_Dark cocked his head to the side, catching a glance of himself in a brightly lit mirror. It seemed to beckon to him. Behind his own figure, he saw a blue and red shadow. It was quite strange, but even he did not know what it meant. Something stood out to him though._

_"I'm... an assassin, of sorts," Dark replied. "Will, where is my jacket?"_

_"Ooh, that sounds rather exciting," Wilford gushed, not seeming perturbed at all by Dark's words. "Ah, so sorry about your leather. We had to leave it behind when we caught the taxi, the driver didn't want to let you in with it. Maybe we could go and get it later."_

_"No," Dark sighed, resigning himself to the fact that he clearly just didn't remember the journey here. "It doesn't matter."_

_Wilford stood and walked over, resting against Dark's front. "You know," Wilford started. "if you've got no place to go, we could stay here and have a little... fun."_

_Dark sighed. "Will-"_

_Wilford backed away with his hands up. "Only if you want to, of course. Though it's hard to resist the old Barnham charm if I... erm, that is..."_

_Dark sat cautiously on the bed, and Wilford sat beside him. Barnham... that's right._

_"William Jay Barnham," Dark whispered aloud, the name hitting him like a punch to the nose. Wilford froze._

_"Now that's a name I haven't-"_

_"Will," Dark interrupted. "Please... lose that ridiculous afro."_

_Wilford chuckled. "If I lose the hair, the clothes come with it, doll."_

_Dark figured it was a small price to pay. He reached up and brushed the silly wig aside, meeting brown locks that seemed softer than ever. He took a breath, memories flooding back. Yes. This was the William he knew and loved._

_"Why do you hide it?" Dark asked as Wilford leaned back, unbuttoning his shirt. "Why do you hide yourself?"_

_Wilford chuckled lowly. "People change, sweetheart. Some days I don't know who I am anymore. It's easier to be Wilford Warfstache, famous journalist, than to wonder if I'm really still William Barnham at all. Though I'm curious as to how you know me by that name, friend, if you don't mind me asking?"_

_Dark was silent for a moment, hands still entwined with Wilford's as he found that his own chest was now bare. How this had happened, he wasn't sure. He didn't waste his time thinking about it, and instead turned to Wilford once more._

_"You really don't remember me? At all?" Dark asked, not knowing whether it was better or worse this way. He wanted this man to join him in the void. He wanted William, but William was gone, and on what other grounds could he demand that his offer be accepted?_

_Something flashed in Wilford's eyes, but it didn't seem like recognition._

_"No," Wilford replied, leaning forward with a lust-filled smirk. "But if you kiss me like that again, I just might."_

_The night was a blur. Dark felt himself dipping in and out of consciousness between passionate embraces, tingles filling his body like never before as he let Wilford do what he pleased with him. He didn't think he would enjoy this so much- thought it would merely have to be a bargaining tool to have his friend reside alongside him in the void, but the way he was moving, the noises that escaped his lips... he could get used to this feeling. But still, despite how alive he felt, something seemed off._

_The room grew heavy with sweat and their rapid breathing slowed, and Wilford sipped his martini like what had just happened between them was merely a daily occurrence for him. The blanket was thrown lazily across their bodies and Dark could feel his limbs ache, his mind foggy, and the memories he had of the William he knew swimming before him._

_This wasn't the first time they'd done this, he realised. The way Wilford had rocked slowly into him earlier was so reminiscent of an anniversary he remembered sharing with the man, whether it was their first or another, he wasn't sure. The sweet murmuring, the kisses spread from his lips to his thighs all eerily similar to sensations he was only just recalling after so many years. While Dark's name slipped so sinfully from Wilford's mouth, the man couldn't help but remember another name._

_Celine._

_He was Celine. He used to be Celine, used to be with William as more than friends, but now, he was Dark. As this realisation sunk in, Dark became aware of a ringing in his ears. A low chatter that reminded him of hushed voices, and then finally, with the last few shaky touches before he reached his breaking point, he could hear them._

_"Come live with me, Will." Dark urged when time seemed to shift again. They were lying together, basking in each other's heat, not bothered by how vulnerable they must be to be so close and bare._

_Wilford chuckled. "Why, you're a special one. They usually don't make it this long, you know, let alone want to live with me in the end. I like an old fashioned lover."_

_"I'm not like them." Dark spoke, spitting the word 'them' with contempt. Some part of him was possessive enough that the thought of anyone else with Wilford was maddening to him. It must be Celine. Then who was it that felt so sick at the feelings that had coursed through him what felt like moments before?_

_"You'd want to run if you stayed longer," Wilford said, sounding resigned. "As wonderful as this night has been, I... I'd rather not have to shoot you, old boy. It always happens, sooner or later."_

_Dark sighed, shaking his head. "Will, if anyone should be concerned it's_ you _. I'm not... normal. I don't feel anything. I'm not empathetic. I'm not remorseful. I've killed. Why is it that you're more afraid of yourself than of me?"_

_"Because it doesn't matter how close I get to you," Wilford argued his point. "I'll shoot you. I'll do it right now."_

_Wilford held a gun to Dark's chest as he found himself in a new position, fully clothed with his back against the wall. Wilford wore yesterday's clothes, his martini remarkably full again and waiting beside his bed. Regret filled Wilford's eyes as he pulled the trigger, but Dark didn't even flinch._

_He let out a small sigh and reached inside the hole just below his heart, grasping the piece of metal and flicking it aside after removing it. It would have hurt anyone else greatly, if they'd lived through the pain. Anyone else would be dead right now. But not Dark._

_Before Wilford's eyes, the wound closed up with barely any blood to show for it._

_"Come with me," Dark urged again. "I'm going to a place where none of this matters. Death, regret, longing... it's perfect for people like us."_

_Wilford looked up, a smile playing on his features despite how shocked he'd been just moments before. "Life needs a bit of madness, doesn't it?"_

_Dark sighed, holding him close as he felt someone else speak through him. Not himself. Yet not even Celine._

_"Life is ours to choose, Will. I choose to spend it with you."_

_Damien? The name seemed so familiar, but neither man spoke it aloud. Dark blinked and suddenly Wilford stood in the corner, wearing the clothes that Dark remembered once tearing from his body during heated hours in the bedroom so many decades ago. Suspenders that had once been red, faded to a dim pink. The button up shirt that had once been warm yellow, now a pasty lemon in comparison. He tossed the afro aside, and for the first time, Dark noticed that his mustache was now completely pink._

_"Dark, my boy... are you ready?" Wilford grinned. Dark couldn't help but return it._

Dark let out a shaky breath as he stood, beginning to pace and mutter quietly, his footsteps doing little to drown out the noises next-door.

_ "You could have stopped if you wanted to," _

_"But you shouldn't have taken control in the first place."_

_ "Without me, you wouldn't even know that you like men." _

_"Without you, I'd be happily in my grave whether I had a husband or not."_

_ "And you'd have lived your life for how long running away from women who wanted your attention?" _

_"I never-"_

_ "That's bullshit, Damien! You have no idea how many girls came up to me, asking if you were single during high school. Even afterwards, you were the youngest mayor in years and every respectable woman wanted to be your wife. But you had no idea that the reason you didn't like anyone who threw themselves at you was because you hadn't experienced loving a man yet." _

_"And so what? I feel it should have been my decision when I lost my innocence, to a man_ or _a woman. Not yours."_

_ "Don't you get it, Damien? You were never going to do it. I couldn't live with that! I'm normal! I need affection, and I can't just brush it off because you're too shy to think about having sex! Whether you like it or not, we needed that night with him!" _

_"Hardly,"_  Dark felt his lip curl.  _"Before that night we didn't argue once, Celine. Now, I feel we cannot agree on anything!"_

_ "I guess we can both agree that the sounds he's making are getting us riled up. You're a fool if you can't admit it to me. We share the same system." _

Dark's breathing grew deeper as he began to calm himself. He was no longer shouting at himself to listen. He was trying to ignore the blatant truth, and he hated himself for it.

_'You're right, Celine. It is because of him. Because he sounds just like Anti, and the feeling of knowing I have to live my life without even trying to pursue him hurts me beyond words.'_

_ 'If we could have a relationship with him without being tied down it would be fine. But you've seen how clingy he is. We wouldn't cope like that.' _

_'I would cope with that just fine.'_

_ 'Yes but as you are so keen to hold against me, Damien, it's not just you in this body. You know what? This is stupid. The night with William helped us come back from our numb, empty husk of a being and filled us with  _ life _. We've fallen out, and the only way to fix it is to get you back in your happy mood. You haven't had sex in years, Damien. Maybe that's why you're so irritable... Whatever. We're going to fix it.'_

_'Celine, I don't-'_

Dark growled inhumanly, and all reasoning within him was lost. They needed excitement? They needed happiness? Fine. Dark could  _provide_. Seán had quietened down a while ago, and the demon was certain he'd fallen asleep. Perfect. He'd barely be able to resist.

As Dark left the room and walked down the hall, he felt himself become lighter. Thinner. His hair fell delicately into place and his almond shaped eyes flashed red.

He? No, Dark would have to be female for this encounter. With the way Seán had been gasping and moaning thinking about his girlfriend, there was no way he'd agree to sleep with a man.

She shrugged off the dress robe she'd been wearing and now stood naked in the doorway. If this didn't fix them, Dark didn't know what would. She ignored the tears that threatened to spill as Damien realised just what they were going to do, and stepped into the dark room.

Tonight was going to be one to remember. Whether Seán wanted it or  _not_.


	10. Chapter 9

**~Void~**

"I guess this is goodnight." Halter sighed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly with two left hands. "Thank you, Anti. Really."

"It's nothing," Anti scoffed, but felt his heart warm at the words anyway. It shouldn't have, he knew. But then, Anti had always found ways to contradict to himself...

Halter smirked in understanding, giving Anti a pointed look. "I'll find a way to make you see you're not as bad as you think you are."

Anti snorted. "Ten pounds says you can't. I've had enough brothers yell at me for being evil that the message has kinda stuck to me."

"You have brothers?" Halter asked, eyes gleaming with fresh excitement. "Really?"

"Technically, I guess," Anti sighed glumly. Brothers... well, neither of them would appreciate that title now, would they? "Though they all hate me now. Really, it's fine. I despise them just as much as they loathe me."

That wasn't entirely true, Anti supposed. It was mainly the eldest three that got on his nerves. That dickhead of a magician, the douche of a superhero, and the doctor who had failed to stop him from falling into ruin. He had bones to pick with them that nobody else could ever understand. At least, that's what he remembered from the first time he'd really managed to get  on Dark's bad side.

He'd barely even seen the younger ones- only knew about them because of the fan art that people drew. Memories and dreams that flickered through his mind, always fogged over and unclear. They seemed so happy and carefree- so free of the emotional trauma that followed him around. It was enough to strike a chord of envy in the whine of a symphony that was his life.

"You didn't quite meet my eyes there," Halter replied cheekily, folding his arms. "Come on, tell me about them! Dan and Phil have siblings too, you know?"

"No," Anti sighed, a small smile playing on his lips. "I... didn't know that. But I... I'm very biased. I don't like them, and they've never liked me. Ever since they first came here they walked over me like I was nothing. And then everyone who ever said I was something... left me. Guess I really wasn't anything to be proud of at all..."

He flinched as Halter pulled him in for a hug, and he fought futilely for a moment before giving up. Halter wouldn't let him go. He was too goddamn  _kind_ for his own good- and Anti didn't  _need_  the affection. It wasn't like he was close to tears, or heartbroken, or shaking like he might have when he was younger. He was... numb.

He didn't know which was more terrible.

"I'm sure you're all amazing," Halter interjected, giving Anti one last squeeze before pulling away.

Anti rolled his eyes at the fusion. "Fuckin' hardly. They're all just caricatures with the same face and hair as me, there's no real blood connection between us. I don't have to say any good shit about them. The only one I even remember in a good light was Septiplier, but I'm pretty sure he's been dead and gone for years. At least... that's what social media says."

"Who's he?" Halter asked, eyebrows furrowing as he blinked curiously. Something about that name seemed... familiar? But he couldn't fathom why, or who it belonged to in his mind...

Anti just sighed, knowing he'd have had to tell Halter about the other fusion at some point. He didn't want to keep secrets, but... but he didn't want Halter to get the same treatment as Septiplier here. They both deserved better than that... 

"He's... he's the fusion of Mark and Jack, the personification of their relationship as seen by the fans. Particularly their romantic one. However nonexistent it really is..."

Halter gasped softly, coming to a realisation. He flexed his extra fingers warily. "You mean... the one you were talking about earlier? He was like me?"

Anti nodded, biting his lip. "He was. He was taller than the rest of us, and his hair was... it started out brow, but it turned half red and half green. D-Dark used to tease him about it... back when we... y'know, actually talked."

"Well, whatever you say about them," Halter urged. "I'm curious, and you obviously want to talk, otherwise you'd have stopped the conversation."

Anti closed his mouth, unable to think of a response to that. Halter was damn  _good_  at backing him into corners, wasn't he? And... yeah, maybe that was true. He'd never really had a chance to speak about his family issues with anyone except for Blaze...

And that friendship hadn't exactly ended well.

"Well, I suppose I'll start with the troublemakers," Anti sighed, giving in. He might as well get these things off his chest. By the time he'd figured out how he truly felt, there was nobody left to talk to but himself, anyway.

"Jackieboy Man wasn't even meant to be a proper ego," Anti scowled, jealousy burning in his chest. "He did a let's play, he was in a music video for some song with Mark and the Game Grumps in it, and then suddenly he was here. All over the internet, drawings, fan art, stories that fleshed him out more than I could ever hope to be. Jack loved him. I suppose that's one of the reasons I was so upset when he manifested here..." Anti trailed off with a heavy sigh. 

"I was the first, and I didn't even know who I  _was_. Jack didn't want me. He never intended for me to exist. And suddenly some suit-wearing prick is here acting like he's the hot shit, belittling me because he's in pictures and I'm not. I never liked him..."

"Sounds like Gilderoy Lockhart," Halter snorted. Anti chuckled at the resemblance. Yes, he could definitely see the entitled asshole in that role. Lilac indeed. He would be the type.

"Still, he was bearable enough, I guess... The next one who came along was Marvin, and I don't know what crawled up his ass and died but it stayed there and he's an absolute jerk to everyone. There's one of D-Dark's brothers who has a thing for him, but Marvin just treats him like he's a groupie."

"Dark?" Halter asked, probably having realised that Anti was having trouble mentioning him without wincing. Anti shook his head. He didn't trust himself to talk about the demon without spilling everything he was feeling... And though he was finally opening up, he wasn't ready for that kind of information to be released. Maybe he would never be.

"Right," Halter agreed solemnly. Anti appreciated that someone else in this God forsaken Void knew how to respect the privacy of others... He continued as if nothing had happened. It was best to ignore it, he found, and keep going. It always seemed to work out better in the end that way.

"So those two made fast friends, but, like, the kind of friends that talk shit about each other to their face and laugh. Like fuckin' blond chicks in the movies. And at this point I gave up on Jack. To this day I still don't know if he's produced a damn ego without a god complex. But one other came, before I... Well, before I severed my ties."

_And a couple of arteries with them..._

Halter remained blissfully unaware of what had actually gone down, and Anti wasn't about to tell him. It was generally considered a mental problem if you had sudden urges to stab and kill your family. But Anti didn't know if he'd ever truly considered them family, or if they'd ever really wanted him there in the first place...

"This one was better," Anti smiled a little fondly despite himself. "Still thought he was the hot shit, still obnoxious and clique-y like the others. But he was nice to me. It was just... never enough. He was a doctor- though the others questioned his credentials. Unlike me and my brothers, he was German. He was fun, too. He... he's the only one I regret... but it doesn't matter," Anti swallowed, trying to force the memory down. He truly did regret not giving Schneep a chance before he brutally killed him that day, but he hadn't been in his own mind.

Or maybe... maybe he wasn't in his own mind  _now_.

What was done had been done. He didn't know if Schneep would ever want to look back on him as any more than a psychopath after what had happened, and... he supposed he had it coming. He shouldn't feel as upset as he did.

"Is that all?" Halter asked, and Anti remembered he was there. The glitch had gone into his own little world, and was very grateful for the intervention- it was dangerous to be enveloped by his thoughts for too long.

"No, there are more," Anti said, biting his lip so hard now that he drew blood. "But I haven't seen them in person. How could I, when everyone thinks...  _knows_... keeps me away," he finished.

"I'm so sorry," Halter sighed, reaching out to wrap an arm around Anti's shoulder comfortingly. Anti didn't even bother trying to push him away. "I didn't know..."

Anti shook his head softly. "Of course you didn't know. I'm glad you found it out from me before you met anyone else- the fuckin' pricks talk as much smack as they drink scotch."

"If you don't mind me asking..." Halter started, though he looked less than hopeful. "What exactly... happened, between you?"

Anti felt his cheeks heat up and his throat begin to bleed, hands shaking slightly like he needed to find a blade. No- he couldn't do this, not now... not  _ever_.

"No," Anti managed to whisper. "I...  _no_ ,"

"It's okay," Halter assured him, checking him over worriedly. "No pressure, okay? Just... if you want to talk about it, I'm here for you."

Anti laughed pitifully at himself, a single, stress-filled tear sliding from his eye as he ducked his head in shame. "You'll hate me," Anti uttered. "Just like the rest of them."

"I won't hate you," Halter replied. Anti met his four eyes, finding them determined and full of hope. How could he not believe the fusion? He was so new and pure, he probably had no  _idea_ what hatred felt like...

"I doubt it," Anti returned, more coldly than he might have hoped. "I... g-goodnight, Halter..."

Halter smiled sadly as the ego entered his lonely, empty home. He seemed even more lost than the fusion, and it sounded as though he'd been living here for years. Though Halter suspected it was a different kind of loss entirely. He couldn't imagine Martyn or Adrian throwing him away like Anti's brothers seemed to have done to him. He couldn't begin to imagine what he did, but Anti certainly didn't want to share  _why_.

Halter wasn't going to pry. It just wasn't in his nature to push people out of their comfort zone.

He was determined to help Anti heal. And if that meant waiting until Anti was ready to talk to him, Halter would wait.

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

Almost a day had passed since the doctors had broken up, and the makeshift house the egos shared was falling apart.  _Literally_ , as well as figuratively.

The cracks in the walls grew larger with each hour, and some parts of the roof had even caved in. A chunk of heavy cement had fallen onto Robbie's leg earlier, and nobody needed to understand his whimpers to know that he was in pain. Marvin had had to conjure a glass of water and throw it in Dr. Iplier's face before the man would stop moping and tend to him.

Naturally, the egos were even more divided after the breakup. If the two doctors, who had been together for years, couldn't survive living under the same roof- how could they? Marvin and Jackieboy felt very deeply for Schneep, who seemed to have calmed down just enough to hold a conversation with him. They took every chance they got to make the opposing doctor ego feel worse and worse, sometimes even snapping at the other Ipliers out of pure spite.

On the other hand, Wilford was threatening to shoot anyone who got too close to his distraught comrade, and Squirrels was backing him up. The Jims were interviewing everyone, trying to get all of the details, but barely anyone knew what had actually happened. Only that Schneep had come inside, teary-eyed and refusing to speak to Iplier. Words had been shouted. Names may have been called. But the doctor had such a thick German accent when he was mad that even Dr. Iplier probably hadn't known what he'd really said.

Now, there was a tense silence. Host was with Robbie, muttering to him soothingly as the zombie tried to sleep off the pain. His bandages were wrapped poorly, but Host forgave the doctor. He was going through a period of shock and stress, and... well, Host had definitely been in that position before. He trusted the doctor- in more situations than this alone. Without that man, Host was certain he'd still be locking himself away in his room, avoiding contact with anyone out of fear of rejection... 

Every so often the walls would creak and Robbie would whimper, but there was nothing that Host could do except think positively and hope that it would help the story progress. He had no control over the outcomes- he only had some measure of foresight, and right now... nothing looked good.

Marvin was being even more of a bitch than usual, in Google's opinion. In his face, asking him about ways to help someone through a bad break up, not letting him finish his answers until Google had enough and snapped.

"Why don't you just go and talk to him if you care that much?" Google growled, eyes flashing dangerously blue. "It's not like there's anything stopping you."

Marvin grimaced and moved his fingers to his hair, tugging furiously. "Fookin  _machine_..."

"Hey, hey! That's enough!" Wilford interrupted, glaring daggers at Marvin. "You want to get acquainted with my knife, magic boy?"

Yandereplier hissed, his hold on Marvin tightening as he stepped forward with a knife of his own.

"Over my dead body, konoyarô," the yandere seethed.

"Control your pet, Marvin." Google urged, not even flinching as the knife rounded on him.

"Shut your fookin' mouth, I didn't ask you anything," Marvin huffed, stalking off after shaking Yan's hand from his own. Wilford groaned and shook his head, looking at Yan with concern in his usually careless eyes.

"Why do you follow him, Yan? He treats you like you're nothing but a cheap whore,"

Yan blinked, but didn't falter in his defensive stance. "He's my Senpai. He's the only one I'll ever love, and he's  _good_ to me,"

"Doesn't mean you have to hang off of him," Wilford shrugged.

"Don't be so hard on him, he's really stressed, what with Schneep and all..."

The egos turned to look at Chase, who had summoned himself a glass of whiskey as he sat beside Google.

Google's eyes flashed dangerously. "You fail to see that our own brother is also suffering because of this."

Chase held up his hands in surrender. "No, no, dude, I totally get it. I'm just looking out for Marvin, since he never does it for himself. Hey, what is this, a Febreze commercial?"

Chase pushed away the impending knife as if it was nothing. He must have been quite drunk to shrug something like that off. Or maybe it was simply because unlike his older brothers, he'd never gotten too close to the sharp end of a knife. The world may never know.

"Chase, I didn't know you drink," Wilford chuckled, seemingly pushing his worry for Yan's relationship aside. "Why do you never join in on our party nights?"

Chase snorted. "By the time I consider it, everyone's already making out with somebody or asleep, and besides. What kind of an idiot does trickshots intoxicated?"

"Dude, he has a point," Bing voiced. He'd been sitting in the corner, watching the situation unfold while he gave his optics some time to rest. He'd ended up sitting outside with Chase for hours upon hours watching vine compilations, and he wasn't feeling very well- but he'd never tell anyone that. Chase would worry, and Google would laugh at him for being so weak and useless...

"Whaddyamean?" Chase hiccuped.

Bing looked worried. "Your body's alcohol concentration has never been so high, Chase. Where did you get that, anyway?"

"I dunno," Chase shrugged. "It just... appeared, I guess. Man, I haven't been able to drink in so long, Stacy would have killed me."

Bing sighed in concern, reaching over to place a hand on Chase's shoulder. "Bro... I don't think it's healthy to drink your feelings away. You could have talked to me,"

Google raised his eyebrows at the pair. Once again, something strange was happening between them. As if Bing cared for Chase in a way that nobody else around seemed to bother with. But they were robots. And Google was curious to see just how this would play out...

"It sounds as though Bing rather likes your company, Chase," Google pointed out, smirking smugly.

_'Dude, why?!'_

Google blinked innocently at Bing, who had sent the message out over their shared radio network. The android in question was bright red, flushing as a response to his high stress level, no doubt. 

"Awww, I like his company too," Chase snorted, though he too was quite red in the face.

Wilford laughed, leaning over to Google and whispering not-so-loudly. "They're oblivious, it's hilarious!"

Google cracked a wry smile, finding some level of humour in the situation.

"So it seems..."

"Hey..."

Five heads whipped up to see a familiar figure standing near to them, his features slightly red and the skin around his eyes inflamed. But this man was definitely not flustered for a good reason- in fact, the reason couldn't possibly be worse.

"Dude, you okay?" Bing asked, standing quickly to take a look at him.

Google ran a diagnostic scan and grimaced to himself. "Doctor, your osmoregulatory system seems to be functioning at the level of dehydration."

Doc cursed under his breath, placing a hand on his head as he sighed. "Really? Shit,"

He picked up a bottle of water from thin air and took a sip, sighing and slumping on the already crowded sofa. Google shuffled over to make room for him, and Chase bit his lip worriedly. He was falling into ruin, and... and Chase almost felt like he could empathise with that.

"Hey man, I'm so sorry about Marvin and Jackie, I don't know what's gotten into them..." Chase offered, but Doc shook his head.

"You don't have to apologise, Chase," He sighed, not quite meeting Chase's eyes. Chase couldn't help but remember when he'd spoken to Schneep earlier, and the doctor had run off in tears at the sight of him. Was that what this was? Was he part of the problem?

Chase felt like he was just being stupid again. He wasn't even there when the doctors were arguing, after all. But they'd never maintained eye contact with him after he'd spoken to them, and he was beginning to wonder if their argument had started because of something he'd done.

 _Oh God_ , Chase panicked.  _It's because I didn't give them enough space. I'm always there, pressing my own shit onto them... they don't need to deal with it. Fook, I'm such an ass..._

He downed his glass, and watched it refill almost immediately. Well, how could he say no to more?

Dr. Iplier, however, was worried for other reasons. Chase had never let alcohol touch his lips, ever since he was created here. And now he was sinking into it like it wasn't his first rodeo. Dr. Iplier had been watching him closely- how could he not after what they'd discovered? If Chase was really who they suspected he was, then it was no wonder he was defaulting to alcohol to solve his problems. And if he was on this dangerous road already, the doctor was scared to find out just what he'd be like if he ever reached his breaking point again. The words were frightening enough in the article, but seeing them come to life like  _this_...

He swallowed. He had to tell him, damn it. But if he did, Henrik may never forgive him. How could he begin to compare the importance of keeping Chase healthy with the desire to remain in a relationship with the other doctor? It was  _maddening_ to even contemplate sacrificing one for the other...

"Have you spoken to him?" Wilford asked curiously.

Dr. Iplier chuckled humourlessly. "How could I, when his brothers are so protective of him? I doubt he'd want to see me right now, anyway. I... I messed up pretty bad."

"What did you say?" Bing asked. Yan had paused to eavesdrop on the conversation, though he felt like technically he was playing for the other side in this battle. Marvin wouldn't want him to be here, but then... Marvin didn't exactly want him on the other side, either. Yan didn't  _care_  about this petty drama, all he cared about was making his Senpai happy.

These days, it seemed, he couldn't do that easily...

Dr. Iplier took a deep breath. "I said... Well, it was more than what I  _said_ , really. I failed to acknowledge his stress and his emotional discomfort, and I pushed him. I... I put my work life above our relationship, and it wasn't right. But I still feel as though I was  _right_ in my decision. I want him back, God, I want him... but I won't give up my beliefs and practices because he... I'm so sorry, I don't think it's appropriate to say."

Dr. Iplier mentally scowled at himself. Why couldn't he just say it?  _"Chase, you're actually a dead man that shot and killed eight people in his past life."_  

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but taking in the situation, even Doc knew it was a bad move. There were too many people, they would all panic and turn on him, just like Henrik had said. And Chase would hardly take it to a good place himself if he'd had half as many drinks as Iplier suspected he had. 

"You'll get through it," Wilford grinned, not taking note of the others' own painful expressions yet again. It was what the mustached man did best, really- ignore the bad parts of a situation to focus on the beauty of it... "You love him, and he loves you. Even if you've hit a snag, you've really got to be yanking at the fabric to get it to tear."

Dr. Iplier smiled softly for what felt like the first time in hours. "That's the most philosophical thing I've ever heard leave your mouth, Wilford."

Wilford winked at him, before standing up and stretching.

"Dearie me," Wilford exclaimed, suddenly on the other side of the room. "Have any of you seen young Jameson?"

The mute man tapped on his shoulder, having come when he heard his name being called. He'd been in the doctors' office, it seemed- and he walked over, smiling brightly at Wilford as the pink-haired man clapped him adoringly on the shoulder.

"Ah! There you are m'boy. Hope the doctor is nice and well,"

Jameson nodded, gesturing for Wilford to follow him. The two men left the main room and walked into the doctors' once-shared office, hands softly entwined.

It was a mess. Paperwork was everywhere, various pens and notes and documents fluttering around like souls in search of the afterlife. Jackieboy Man scowled as he noticed the Iplier enter the room, sending him a sharpened glare.

"What do you want?" The superhero huffed.

"Calm yourself, Jackieboy!" Schneep chided, eyes narrowing at his older brother. "I asked for ihn, now please leave mich alone for ze final time."

Jackieboy looked affronted, turning to face Schneep with wide eyes. "But- Schneep, you're not-"

"I vill be fine," Schneep uttered lowly. His voice was so devoid of cheer and hope that even Wilford found himself worried- the doctor hadn't been so low since young Anti had vanished...

Jackieboy took one more look at Wilford, before scoffing again and walking out. The door slammed, causing a few muffled cries of alarm when the roof seemed to cave in again in the other room.

Schneep sighed. "Danke, Jameson. Vilford, I apologise. Zis must be putting a lot on your plate, but I vanted to ask you... vell, could you keep an eye out for Doc? I... I know es ist crazy, but I cannot bring myself to hate him for vhat he has done. It has stung, yes, but I have been cut vorse. I can truly understand vhy he said vhat he did, und vhy he wants... but zat is best kept private. Putting ze long story short, Vilford..."

Schneep looked up, and for the first time in decades, Wilford felt he understood the human emotion of pain...

"Ve cannot continue zis relationship like zis. Ve are too stressed, too overvorked, and too different in our procedures. It only took ze tiniest thing to break us yesterday, und it vill happen again. It is simply nicht gut for our health. Zat being said, of course Ich liebe Ihn immer noch, very much so. I don't vant him to sink ve are over. Could you tell him, dear Freund, zat ze good doctor Schneeplestein vill never stop loving him?"

"Of course!" Wilford boomed happily, a relieved smile lighting up his features. "Poor chap's been beating himself up over it, but as all Ipliers do, he thinks he's right. The lovesick fool. Life is so much easier when you have no strings attached."

Jameson hit him playfully on the arm, his mustache twitching with mirth and his eyes sparkling with something that Wilford never could find in Dark's. He chuckled, turning his attention back to his lover.

"But of course, not everyone has such a wonderful man to come home to."

Schneep couldn't help but smile as he watched the unlikely pair showing their affection before him. Jameson's eyes crinkled and his lips moved as if he was laughing, but no sound escaped him.

"Come on," Wilford urged, giving Jameson a sweet peck on the lips. "Let's go tell our friend he's not been dumped. Then, perhaps I'll show you to my private room..."

Schneep snorted, shaking his head. "Vilford, zat 'private room' you speak of is a closet."

"Ah, but isn't that where all the greatest celebrities reside?" Wilford challenged. Jameson snorted, the sound bringing a smile to the room's occupants, as all of his little huffs and groans managed to do.

Schneep chuckled slightly, feeling some of the tightness in his chest easing away slowly. He would recover from this. He was certain of it. He just needed a little time...

"So it vould seem, Vilford," he agreed. "So it vould seem."


	11. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter contains the *explicit* non-consensual sexual relationships, so be warned, it's heavy.

******~Groundlands~**

It had been far too long since Dark had laid in a bed of her own. Feeling the smooth sheets beneath her fingers as she climbed atop the mattress, hearing it creak beneath the added weight, bringing waves of nostalgia through her senses. She had missed this feeling of dominance. This anticipation of a night to come. Why hadn't she done this in so long?

 _No matter,_  she thought. There was no use dwelling on the past, after all. Why remember years of longing and lust when you could satisfy all of your pent up desires in the blink of an eye? The time was nigh. Seán wouldn't be so easy to manipulate if Dark let these hours go to waste, and there was no way she was leaving this room unsatisfied.

_'I refuse to take part in this!'_

_ 'That's not what your head wants, is it?' _

_'A man is not defined by his thoughts, but by what he chooses to do with them! Celine, this is sexual assault!'_

_ 'It's not assault if he likes it,' _

Dark advanced until she was hovering over Seán's torso, smirking as she took in his features. She'd never really inspected him up close, but given how close she'd been with Anti in the past, some of his looks weren't very surprising to her. The hair that curled in soft strands out on the pillow, the tufts of facial hair that lined his jaw, all just the same as the glitch who lived in the Void. A little more well-groomed, but lying with his eyes closed, Dark could almost believe it was really Anti. Though lacking the perpetually bleeding scar on his neck, of course. Examining Seán thoughtfully, Dark contemplated walking to the kitchen to get a knife. She eventually decided it might not pay off in the end. Seán would definitely wake up to that, and Dark didn't want to have to kill him this way. It would be far too  _messy_.

Having him like this would have to do, right? The souls couldn't afford to be picky. This was the only time they would ever really be close with a Septiceye of any kind, and they  _knew_ it.

Dark growled slightly, wiping some of her fearful tears away. They were going to be thankful, after this was all done. They had to be...

_ 'Honestly, Damien. Man up and take him, you'll be fine.' _

_'Celine, I will not!'_

_'Stop being so_ afraid  _of embracing who you_ are _...'_

Dark grew tired of this internal argument that never seemed to end. Damien was nothing compared to the combined efforts of Celine, their demon, and the body that was now shaking with arousal, burning to be released. He would fall into line, and finally be subdued. Dark couldn't  _wait_ to be whole again. It had been years, so many  _years_ since their infernal cacophony had ceased...

Seán turned in his sleep, not seeming to have noticed the second person in his bed as his chest rose and fell in time with his heartbeat. His mouth was parted slightly as Dark started to brush against his neck, lips grazing over the smooth white skin as she teased the man as best she could.

Seán's breaths hitched in his throat as he let out a small moan, the creases by his eyes subsiding and his legs stirring beneath the blanket. He was actually  _enjoying_ this...

Dark smirked.  _'Better than I expected... trouble in paradise, I suppose...'_

_'Please don't make us do this,'_

_'I'm not_ making  _us do anything, you know that. You know that I'm not in control, Damien, you're just too scared to admit that you like this too...'_

Dark's loose kisses then spread further down Seán's chest, nuzzling him softly in an effort to appease her inner Damien. He was all into affectionate touches, right? Surely this would satisfy him...

_'Doesn't this feel good?'_

Dark pulled the blanket further down and away from them so that it fell loosely over Seán's ankles. The man shivered slightly at the cold, subconsciously leaning further into Dark's embrace, seeking some form of heat from the cold body. Dark heard herself gasp softly at the sudden contact and was filled with a triumphant feeling.

_'You're not doing a good job convincing me you hate this, Damien...'_

_'This is unjust, Celine, and no matter what drivel my mind is spinning, nothing will stop me from believing as such!'_

_ 'Not even if I do this?' _

Dark took advantage of their closeness and ground down on Seán,  _hard_. She grinned through a choked sob as Seán cursed softly in his sleep, her body tingling with a mix of discontentment and excitement. Was this still not enough for him? Celine was ready to pounce, but Dark knew there was a way to make Damien want this just as much. Though it was unclear how she was going to elicit the right response from him.

She could feel Seán growing aroused beneath her, nothing separating them but the thin fabric of his underwear. She traced the outline of his bulge with her index finger, slowly teasing the elastic down.

_ 'Do you think Anti wears such obscene undergarments?' _

Getting no response, Dark went for a different method. She gripped Seán through his boxers, letting his harsh groan send shivers down her spine. She didn't handle him nearly roughly enough to wake him, though his movements were growing increasingly more haphazard beneath her.

_'Please... stop,'_

Dark ignored the pleas of the small voice in her head, instead listening to the whispered ideas of her more agreeable components. 

_ 'Look at him, so desperate to be touched. How long has it been for him? Not nearly as long as it's been for our friend back home... Unless, in our absence, he's been screwed by some other fool? No, it can't be. You're the only one idiotic enough to actually want someone like that.' _

Dark winced at the words, then scowled as she realised just how much influence Damien really still had on her. In an act of defiance, she pulled Seán's clothing away until they were both bare on the mattress, and sunk to her knees, quivering over him.

She licked her lips sultrily. ' _Don't you want to taste him, Damien?'_

_'I-'_

Dark didn't hesitate, licking from the base to the tip, letting her mouth encompass the head as she tried to make sense of her emotions. Damien's thought had been cut off by a low moan, and now he was silent in her ears. She hummed in contentment, smirking as she revelled in her success.

_ 'Perfect... see how good this feels, Damien? You could have this, if you let yourself go... we've spent too long arguing over love and lust. It's time we made a  **choice**...' _

Seán cried out softly, hand moving instinctively to tug at her hair, which she huffed in response to. Celine had always hated it when her men played with her hair. If Anti was anything like his counterpart in bed, she'd find herself regretting this decision to pursue him... Not even for her brother's sake would she let herself be handled this way, not  _again_...

Dark growled, pulling away and pinning Seán's hands beside his body. He stirred and writhed as if finally noticing that something was wrong. Yet still he didn't wake. Perhaps he thought this was merely a nightmare.

Dark snarled, her grip tightening on Seán's wrists with enough strength that her nails drew blood. He whimpered, trying to break free, his eyes fluttering as he threatened to wake. Dark shuffled forward on the bed, sitting her knees atop Seán's arms so that both of her own hands were free, watching his eyes flutter with a sick sort of pleasure. Some part of her wanted to see him wake, so that he could watch her embrace the darkness she was designed to embody... maybe then, Damien would stop acting like they still had a choice to be  _good_.

_ 'It's too late for us, Damien. We're already doomed to live like this, we don't have the promise of a heaven anymore... what are you bothering saving yourself for?' _

_'U-unlike you, Celine, I pride myself on my integrity... this is not just. I...'_

_ 'Let yourself enjoy it-' _

_'No!'_

Dark's frustrated, angry growl was the final thing that tipped her over the edge. Sinking down, burying him deep inside her, she ground her hips against his crotch with spite.

Startled, blue eyes flew open, and Dark wasted no time in pressing her fingers deeply into the skin of his throat. Seán looked terrified, but as he tried to cry out, Dark's choking grip on his neck tightened. Tears ran down her cheeks and the voices inside grew louder, buzzing, arguing about pitiful human nonsense like  _feelings_  and  _pain_. Dark wasn't human. Dark lived for  _vengeance_ , and Dark would take back control of this form if it was the last thing she accomplished. How could she have let herself be blinded for so long? There was no hope for her, no ending for the likes of  _them_...

_'You're hurting him, you're hurting me!'_

_ 'It's nothing we haven't felt before, haven't you missed it? I haven't felt this way in years...' _

_'You're vile, you're all horrid, I... I can't... it hurts, Celine!'_

Dark cried out, somewhere between a moan and a shout of pain as she continued to ride him, her hands around his neck to keep him from screaming and her knees digging so deeply into his arms that they had already begun to bruise. His cheeks were red, his eyes glassy with tears, yet Dark could only feel the pressure inside her growing tighter with every thrust.

_ 'Quit being such a virgin, Damien!' _

Dark involuntarily let out a sob, wincing finally at the pain that she had been holding back. Yet still her hips moved, her hair bounced, and her hands grew clammy around Seán's bruised neck. It took her a few moments to realise that there was no pulse reaching her fingertips. His eyes were open in a blank stare, accusatory, his lips parted in a never ending gasp of pain.

Something inside her snapped as her components stopped arguing, finally coming to realise what they'd caused. What was she  _doing_? This man had been nothing but helpful towards her, even after she'd confessed one of her deepest secrets to him- and she was fairly certain she'd just killed him.

_ 'Oh... no, I-' _

_'W-we... we did this,'_

_ 'Damien, I'm so sorry, I-' _

Panic flooded her senses. She let go immediately, crawling forward and wincing as he left her body. She knew what she had to do. It was going to be difficult to explain, and even more horrible to confess to, but she'd have to bring him back. He didn't deserve this- he didn't deserve  _her_...

She pressed their foreheads together and let her entire body fall limp.

Seán gasped loudly for air, making to move in alarm, when something caught his attention. A woman with dark hair, slumped over him, fully undressed. Her neck was purple, her arms littered with small splotches of blue and her face as pale as a sheet. He cried out in fright, crawling out from underneath her as he came to the realisation that he, as well, was nude.

He looked sickeningly upon the scene. Oh God, what had he done? He didn't remember anything. Had he gone out? How did this girl find her way into his house? Why had they slept together? Why did she look like she was dead?!

Seán tried to remain calm, but even a positive mental attitude couldn't make this better. He wiped away the tears that had stained his face, wondering what to do. He couldn't leave her here- he didn't even know who she was. What was he going to tell Dark? Shit, what was he going to tell  _Signe_?

He hastily pulled on the first clothes he could see and scuffled out of the room, almost tripping on a spare robe that was lying in the hallway. The door to Dark's room was open, and the light was still on. But the man was nowhere in sight.

"Dark?" Seán called out, scouring the house for any sign of him.  The lounge was vacated, the studio was untouched, and the kitchen looked just as hellish as the night before. He wasn't in the bathroom, he wasn't in the front yard... come to think of it, the door was bolted shut, and Seán would never have remembered to lock it if he was drunk. Where was he? It wasn't like the demon was hard to find.

Unless...

Seán felt as though he'd been punched in the stomach as the realisation hit him. No... it couldn't be. But who else could have come home with him and left the house in this state? It made logical sense, and Seán hated it. But he couldn't deny it.

He'd... he'd slept with Darkiplier.

Seán hurried back to the room, where the figure on his bed remained, not stirring. He didn't know how Dark had changed his body shape, didn't know why the night's events had occurred in this way at all, but he did know that sooner or later, Mark would have to hear about this.

_Sooner or later, Signe would have to hear about this._

With his head in his hands, Seán tossed the blanket over Dark's sleeping form and ran to the studio. He quickly loaded up his computer, squinting at the bright light of the screen. It was 2:17 AM. Mark would be awake. He  _had_ to be.

If he wasn't, Seán didn't know what he would do...

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

Amy was at Mark's place, editing some videos on his computer while he was away signing calendars. Soon, she'd have to leave to bring him some food, but for now she was content to sit with Chica. The golden puppy wagged her tail and barked excitedly as a Skype notification popped up on the screen. Amy looked at it, puzzled.

"Jack? It's too late for him to... oh crap," she sighed in realisation. Something must have happened with Dark. She swiftly hit the answer button, and the screen was overtaken by a mess of black static.

"Mar- oh, hi Amy..." he muttered. His voice sounded weak, as if he'd been crying, but Amy couldn't see him at all.

"Seán? is your webcam okay?" She asked, concerned.

"My webcam...? Oh, fook, I forgot the lights... hang on..."

Suddenly, Amy could see. She almost wished she couldn't...

He had bags under his eyes, probably from a lack of sleep- his cheeks shone with tears, and his hair was crimped and bunching as if he hadn't brushed it in days. He seemed... thinner. Paler.  _Weaker_...

"You look like death," Amy uttered in disbelief, shaking her head. "What  _happened_?"

Seán bit his lip, looking very uncomfortable with the question. "I... It's a long story, I... is Mark there at all?"

Amy shook her head again in denial. "No, he's signing his calendars still- he should be back in a few hours. Isn't it, like, 3AM for you?"

Seán sighed. "Close, it's only two. But I can't talk unless Mark's here, you won't believe me even if I-"

"I know about Dark," Amy interrupted. Seán's jaw dropped.

"You do? Wait- you know he's  _here_?"

"Yeah, Mark tells me everything," Amy sighed, pressing her hand to her temples. "Has he caused you any trouble? Oh God, that's what this is, isn't it?"

 Seán groaned, shaking a little on the other side of the camera. "I... I suppose you could say that... I mean... I don't know how to feel right now, but I know that it's not good... it's  _very_  not good..."

Amy was alert, sitting up in a way that frightened Chica from her lap. "Who died?"

"Nobody... I think," Seán muttered, shaking his head. "It's a different kind of fuck up. I... I think we got way too intimate last night- I don't remember anything at all. I woke up in a cold sweat with her- him-  _Dark_  lying on top of me, and we were both naked, and I felt...  _violated_. I didn't know what to do, Amy, I thought maybe Mark would have the answers..."

Amy blinked a few times, trying to process the information. "Wait... you... and him? Really?"

"I don't know!" Seán cried out. "It's just... suspicious, and I don't want to wreck my relationship with Signe even more over whatever this is. I don't  _like_ him. I don't even like  _men_!"

"Whoa, hey, calm down there," Amy soothed. She could see that Seán was close to hyperventilating. "I'm  _sure_ we can work this out. I'll get in touch with Mark and see what I can do- are you alright there if I leave you?"

Seán looked down nervously, the rise and fall of his chest not slowing any time soon. "I... I guess, I mean-"  

Amy gave him a reassuring smile, though it came out as more of a grimace. "Skype my phone, I'll drive us over there."

"Thanks, Amy,"

"No problem, Seán."

Amy knew there was a problem. There was a  _big_ problem that somebody would have to own up to causing, but there was no use worrying Seán about it now. She didn't think Dark would ever stoop to this, despite how evil he was made out to be in the fandom. But then, she hadn't heard both accounts yet. It could all be a misunderstanding... right?

All she knew was that Signe was coming back in a few days, so it was best to sort things out before then. Less people means less drama, and less drama is what everyone could use at the moment.

As Amy clicked her seatbelt on, she felt her phone vibrate and answered the Skype call immediately. Seán didn't sound well. But the best she could do was try to talk him down before he freaked out or did anything even more stupid than engaging in intercourse with a demon.

It was going to be an even longer night than usual...


	12. Chapter 11

**~Void~**

It had been hard enough to leave the bed that Daniel had been relaxing in since his return to the void. Leaving it to get up and walk around was another level of disappointment that he knew he'd have to face, but even walking alongside Blaze wasn't enough for him. He felt... unfulfilled. Like he didn't belong in his own body anymore. It was mildly terrifying, to say the least...

"You alright?" Blaze asked, squeezing his hand and sending heat coursing throughout his cold figure. Daniel shivered as the sensation reached his heart and continued on, missing the feeling of being warmed from his core. Yet he knew it could not be. If he was experiencing a need to be warmer, then Blaze was certainly feeling the opposite. And turning to a demon for comfort was never something to consider, if you were remotely sane.

 **"I'm... content,"**  Daniel sighed. He knew he wasn't. But damned if he was going to subject Blaze to the endless pits of his own despair for any longer than necessary.

Blaze snorted. "Content, yeah right. What is it you want, a hug?"

The fire ego opened his arms wide, inviting Daniel to bask in his light. He hesitated, but smiled fondly anyway. He still loved Blaze. That's why he couldn't do this to him... that's why he couldn't let this happen again.

**"You know me too well..."**

Without warning, Blaze encompassed him, sending fire through Daniel's skin and bringing warmth to places Daniel had forgotten he had. But when he pulled away, the feeling faded like a dream. It wasn't permanent by any stretch of the word.

 _That's what I want_ , Daniel realised.  _Permanence..._

Blaze must have noticed the pitiful droop of Daniel's lips, as he gave their interlocked hands another firm squeeze. "You know, we could..."

 **"What, here? Now?"**  Daniel asked incredulously. He wanted to, certainly. But even if it was morally just in his own mind, they had never done it in public before. Hell, they had only ever done it once. He didn't even know if they could make it happen again.

"Wait, we are on the same page here, right?" Blaze questioned, a smirk lighting up his features. Cheeky bastard. Daniel knew he had sex on the brain, it was one of the many things about him that made him so spontaneous and fun to be around.

 **"You mean Hellfire, right?"**  Daniel muttered lowly, as if it was a sin to speak the name. Blaze grinned in response, only confirming Daniel's suspicions.

**"I don't know, Blaze, being with me for that long probably isn't good for you, plus, we haven't-"**

"But being Hellfire with you feels amazing!" Blaze gushed, seemingly unable to hold it in any longer. "We're whole! Powerful, and dangerous, and fucking  _badass_!"

Blaze let go of Daniel's hand to punch the air with his fists, his fire burning brighter with excitement.

Daniel couldn't help but chuckle. **"I won't deny that it's an amazing feeling being Hellfire with you, Blaze. I'd do it all day if my mind was at ease about it."**

"Pleeeeaaaaase?" Blaze asked, pouting. He tried to look Daniel in the eyes, but he couldn't find the demon in the darkness of the Void.

Daniel booped his nose, causing him to smile despite his act.  **"You're a spork, honestly."**

"That's not a 'no'," Blaze pointed out cheekily, finding his hand and entwining their fingers together. "Besides, Hellfire could never lose himself in the darkness. I hate it when I can't find you..."

Daniel felt his cold heart soften at the words, and his grip on Blaze tightened slightly.  **"I... I don't want to hurt you, you know? But I miss being Hellfire... so much, it hurts. Kinda pathetic, isn't it? We only found out about him yesterday and now we can't live without him..."**

"It's not pathetic," Blaze scoffed. "It's perfectly normal to want comfort, and being Hellfire is the most comfortable I've been in... well, ever. I don't care if it hurts me. It makes us  _happy_."

Their eyes locked for a few moments. The red sclera blazed fiercely as they met the melting black pools of the demon's, and they came to a mutual understanding. Hellfire was good for them, much more than he was bad.

 **"Come here then,"**  Daniel sighed, giving in. He welcomed Blaze into his arms, embracing him softly, letting the heat enter him as his darkness was shared between them, feeling his form melting away to be replaced by someone far more impressive than he could ever hope to be.

When he opened his eyes, he felt a little taller. Flames flickered across his grey fingers, his elegant trousers shifting into ripped jeans and his hair growing longer and curlier than he remembered. He wasn't Daniel- but Daniel was certainly within him. Blaze too.

The fusion called himself Hellfire.

Hellfire peered curiously at the horizon, one eye red and the other a chilled, cold black. He was quite young, he knew- the first thing he remembered was awakening in a colourful room on a bed that was much too small for his size, shirtless and flustered and confused. Beyond that, he'd slowly come to realise that he was not one person, but two. A demon, and an ego. A  _fusion_.

Soon after, he'd split apart, and didn't remember anything that had happened since. Yet he wasn't as confused as he might have been- he knew how he'd gotten from A to B. He had one continuous thought parading through his mind- find a place to be happy. That's what they wanted. That's what  _he_  wanted.

Hellfire smirked, observing his bright light as it illuminated his surroundings in all directions. He'd find a good home for them. Besides, one person is faster than two.

He set off in one direction, humming a song under his breath. The road through the endless Void was much more enjoyable together as one.

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

"What's happened?" Septiplier yawned as he awoke from his slumber. He'd tried to help with the house- he really had, but he'd crumbled under the pressure and had passed out right after Robbie. He just wasn't what he used to be, and that thought haunted him every passing day...

Septiplier always had trouble summoning things. He supposed it came down to some kind of metaphor. You can't build a relationship on lies, just like a relationship made of lies can't build... Or something. He was tired, and depressed, and sorely missed the company of his new human friend, and his thoughts didn't make any more sense when spoken aloud.

Phil had just seemed to know exactly what he was  _feeling_. While everyone else seemed to shrug his thoughts off, Phil had taken the time to talk to him. Septiplier had learned more about himself than ever before, but nothing could change the fact that he was unwanted.

Mark and Jack? Whenever anyone even mentioned Septiplier they would become embarrassed and disgusted, and the fusion could feel all of it. He could feel their regret, their tension, their dwindling trust and respect for the few people who accepted Septiplier as he was...

Why didn't they want him? Weren't they the ones who started this? Who flirted with each other on camera and left their relationship up to interpretation? If they really wanted to, they could have stopped it long before it became a problem.

Septiplier couldn't help but feel his life would have been easier if they'd shut the shipping down when they had the chance. Though he supposed that then, he'd never have existed in the first place.

It wasn't that he had a bad life here in the Void. From the moment he'd come into existence he'd been welcomed wholeheartedly by the egos that had come to reside here. At the time, even seven had been enough, but now keeping track of them all was a nightmare waiting to occur.

He remembered opening his eyes to see nothing but darkness, blinking a few times before he noticed something strange. He had four eyes. Septiplier knew, of course, what humans were supposed to look like, and this was a feature that set his alarm bells off.

From there he discovered two extra arms as well- Jesus, was he thankful he only had one pair of legs. He might be even more of a freak otherwise.

But he hadn't had much time to gawk at his ugly self before he happened across them. All sitting outside a huge manor that towered over him, discussing somebody called 'Mark'. At the time, Septiplier only recognised the name. Of course he went closer to listen.

_Septiplier stepped forward nervously, some part of him wanting to stand in a corner and hope they didn't notice him, and another part imagining the most extravagant introduction he could possibly manage. He compromised by standing still, frozen, waiting for somebody else to speak so that he didn't have to say the first word._

_There were five of them sitting there, all at a table under a dead looking tree. Strangely, they seemed to bear some of his features. Septiplier could see a man in a doctor's outfit, reading from a clipboard and proclaiming jokingly that the man next to him was dying._

_The man beside the doctor rolled his eyes, licking what appeared to be peanut butter off of his fingers as he looked across the table for assistance._

_Another man was opposite them- he reached over somewhat blindly to encompass the doctor's hand in his own, words tumbling from his lips that made the doctor smile. He was wearing a blindfold around his head, tied at the back like a bandanna._

_At one head of the table stood an eccentric looking man with a bright pink mustache and a lemon yellow shirt, waving a gun through the air as he chortled at the scene. At the other head stood a resolute man whose red and blue auras dominated the other occupants of the table with ease._

_And someone else was there, someone who sat alone under the tree, facing away from the group. A man with brown hair and bright green eyes, who was the first to notice Septiplier's presence._

_"Whoa," The man grinned, getting to his feet and walking swiftly over. The occupants of the table looked up at the commotion and noticed that Septiplier was there. The fusion couldn't help but feel awkward around everyone else. They all stood at about 3/4 of his height, after all. He crouched to get on their level, using two hands to steady himself._

_"Dude, check it," The green-eyed man said to the one with the impressive looking auras. "It's like if you and me had a mutant kid,"_

_"Technically, it is impossible for two males to produce biological offspring-"_

_"Shut it Doc," the man interrupted, though his tone was more playful than scorning. "Doesn't he look like us, Dark?"_

_The man with the auras looked up at him, seemingly impressed. Septiplier didn't know exactly what was so impressive about him. Even to this day, he didn't understand the looks of wonder that had appeared on everyone's faces when they first got a glimpse of him. He was a freak, wasn't he?_

_The scary one, Dark, stepped forward. "Please excuse Anti. He's a little... excitable. Welcome to the Void. My name is Darkiplier, but for you, Dark will suffice. Do you have a name, young one?"_

_"I... I'm Septiplier," Septiplier introduced himself uncertainly._

_Dark clapped his hands together. "Wonderful. It seems that another has joined our ranks. I shall arrange a room for you in the manor- oh, pardon me. Where are my manners? Let me introduce you to your brothers."_

_"Brothers?" Septiplier whispered. He didn't know he had brothers. Obviously, he knew of Mark and Jack's brothers and sisters, but he'd never thought he'd have a real family of his own._

_"Yeah, brothers- I'm King of the Squirrels," introduced the man with peanut butter on his face, smiling in Septiplier's direction._

_"I'm Dr. Iplier," the doctor greeted him, shaking one of his hands. Septiplier couldn't help but notice how large the difference in the size of their hands seemed to be. "I don't think you're dying, but I'll have to run tests to be sure."_

_"Uh... okay," Septiplier muttered in return. The man with the gun stepped forward._

_"Wilford Warfstache!" He grinned, firing his gun once into the air. Nobody but Septiplier even flinched at the sound. "Pleasure to meet you, Septiplier!"_

_The man with the bandages cocked his head to the side. Septiplier watched as a small amount of blood trickled from the side of his blindfold, drying slowly on his cheek. "The Host expresses his greetings to the newcomer, who then turns his attention to-"_

_"I'm Anti!" The green-eyed man grinned as he shook both of the fusion's free hands. "I'm not related to them, I'm just... here, I guess. But look at you! You must be related to me, we've got the same nose!"_

_Dark chuckled under his breath. "Oh, Anti. If he wasn't one of Mark's, then why would his name end in Iplier?"_

_Septiplier voiced his thoughts aloud. "I... I'm a fusion, actually. I'm part Mark, and part Jack."_

_"Jack?" Anti asked, excitement flooding his features. "Jack! Is he my human? Dark, is he? He's gotta be, right?"_

_"It would seem so," Dark mused, watching the scene with mirth in his bright blue eyes. Septiplier didn't know how to respond._

_"Come on, man, you've gotta tell me about him!" Anti urged, dragging Septiplier from the crowd. At the time he'd been hesitant to leave them, though Septiplier would eventually spend all the time in the world with them, he knew now..._

Septiplier sighed. How could he remember his past without remembering Anti? The first Septiceye, who hadn't even known who his original was before Septiplier had appeared. They'd been close friends, before...

"Whoa, dude? Hey, Septiplier, you okay man?"

Septiplier blinked, suddenly aware of Bing snapping his fingers in front of the fusion. He sighed once more. He'd gotten completely sidetracked thinking about Anti and his own problems and had forgotten he'd asked Bing a question.

"Yeah, yeah, just lost in the past," Septiplier huffed, only frustrated at himself.

Bing looked concerned, but didn't push the matter. In Septiplier's opinion, the search engine looked rather stressed out himself. What exactly had happened while he was asleep?

"Okay, so you want the short version or the long version?"

"Give me the short one," Septiplier advised, hearing the walls creak beside him. It might be wise to leave this room if the cracks continued to spread.

Bing's eyes glowed a soft orange as he recalled the data he'd saved from the previous nights.

"After you passed out, everything was fine for a few hours. But...  _only_ for a few hours. Jackie was shot, and then while I was on standby, Yan threatened a few people that messed with Marv."

"Sounds about right," Septiplier shrugged with a sigh.

Bing shook his head softly. "That's not the half of it, man. The doctors woke me up to take care of Chase- he's been having a harder time than usual. So we go outside, right? And I go to show him this trick, and he just  _faints_."

Bing's motions were growing wildly more gesticulative as he continued to relay his information to Septiplier. The fusion didn't even have time to cut in and give his own two cents between Bing's worried rambling.

"And like, he wasn't trying to make anything like the rest of you- so I knew something was up. I went over to check on him and he was out cold, he was barely breathing, and he was calling out to someone named Chad... I don't know who Chad  _is_ , but Chase's arm looked pretty badly hurt because the camera fell on top of it, and the doctors were inside, so I was about to pick him up and take him to them when he woke up again. He was really, really upset. Seemed to think I was dead- but I can't die. I'm a robot."

Septiplier continued to nod as Bing spoke, not seeming to notice the fusion at all.

"But he was in such a state- he was shaking like nobody's business, and I almost short circuited panicking about him. Even after he calmed down enough to talk to me, he didn't want to see the doctors. Which I thought was pretty stupid, but he's my bro, so..."

It was at this moment that Bing seemed to realise just how much he'd been focusing on Chase in his recount. He turned slightly more pink with what Septiplier realised was a blush, and the fusion couldn't take it much longer.

"Bing... you do realise we all know you like Chase, right?"

"Dude, I... wait, dude, no, we... we're..."

Bing seemed to be growing hotter by the second, and Septiplier hastily snapped him out of his denial.

"If you didn't like him, it wouldn't have made you overheat just now trying to deny you did," Septiplier pointed out. "You do exactly what Google does. You both get super flustered when someone calls you out."

Bing let out a mechanical sigh. "I... I'm just a robot, Septiplier. I don't know if I can even feel like humans and egos do. Sure, my battery might overheat when I think of him, and my audio processors have an affinity for his frequency, and my optics leak when he's upset, and my core vibrates when he's near, and-"

"Bing," Septiplier interrupted, placing one hand on both of the android's shoulders. "Stop denying it before you self destruct. Did anything else happen while I was out?"

"Uh... oh, yeah... um, the doctors broke up..."

Septiplier's eyes widened. "Wait... our doctors? But they're my favourite couple!"

Bing rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Dude, I know right? I don't know what happened, but me and Chase were sitting outside watching iconic vines when all of a sudden there was shouting and the house kinda... broke. It was scary, dude. Chase couldn't stop shaking, and I had to keep him close to me until he calmed down. The walls started to crack, and the roof caved in on top of Robbie and Host, but Robbie was the only one hurt. They haven't spoken to each other directly since, but Wilford came out and assured us that it was all fine. Though, considering the house hasn't fixed itself up, it's probably not..."

Septiplier made to comment, but it seemed that Bing wasn't done.

"And everyone's so on edge, not just the Doc and Schneep... Marvin's being a real douche, Yan's backing him up, Wilford's taking the opportunity to shoot everyone, and the Jims are following everyone around, and Chase won't stop drinking! He never drinks! I don't know why he's drinking, but I feel like it's my fault for not being there for him enough. Damn it, Septiplier. I shouldn't be able to care about him, but I..."

Septiplier sighed and pulled him close, enveloping him in a four armed hug. The best kind, he assumed. He'd never met anyone else with enough arms to hug him back, so Septiplier guessed he would never know...

"Ah, Septiplier. You're awake."

The fusion looked up to see Google standing nonchalantly in the doorway, head cocked sideways as he looked at Bing.

"Bing, you're a blubbering mess."

Bing wiped his eyes, which had begun to leak. "Sorry, dude. Guess I've got to get my system serviced again..."

Google shook his head. He looked up at Septiplier and inclined his head toward the door. The fusion took that as his cue to leave.

Once Septiplier was gone, Google approached Bing and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Bing, I am growing concerned for you. The closer you get to Chase, the harder it is for you to function, and without proper care, you will only get worse. It isn't your system that is the problem. You are deviating from your programming, and your body doesn't know how to cope."

Bing blinked a few times, his breaths shaky. "I... Deviating? Dude?"

"Listen to yourself, Bing," Google sighed. "You don't need air, yet you are acting as though you are out of breath. A learned behaviour from fraternising with these egos, no doubt. You need to consider whether Chase is worth deviating for. Especially if you don't know what he's really like, beneath his cheery exterior."

Bing eyed the other robot warily. "Of course Chase is worth... what do you mean? Google, what do you know that I don't?"

Google shook his head. "I am not programmed to take the orders of other androids. I have no reason to divulge-"

Bing proceeded to snatch and hold Google's hand in a monkey grip, their simulated skin peeling back to reveal the machinery underneath. Google paused as the data was transferred between them, observing Bing's face fall from visibly upset to something far, far worse.

Google detached their hands, his skin returning as he looked Bing challengingly in the eyes. He didn't seem at all angry about the invasion of privacy, despite what Bing's thoughts told him.

"Was having this information worth it, Bing? Will you continue to protect and serve your human, now that you know he is a murderer?"

Bing didn't respond. He sunk to his knees, trying to process the information that he'd gathered from Google's drive. The words were printed clear as day in his code, but Bing didn't want to believe them.

Google stopped at the door on his way out. "Bing, the time will come when you must make a choice. I only hope that you will make the right one."

He left Bing alone in the room, optics flooded and circuits breaking throughout his body. He just couldn't believe someone like Chase could be so... violent. So cruel. So...  _deadly_.

He couldn't face the man again without spilling the truth. He wished it could be simpler. But Chase had the right to know.

_Please, don't hate me for this..._


	13. Chapter 12

**~Void~**

"Chase? Dude, how many drinks have you had?"

Chase could barely see the figure before him as he stood, blood rushing to forgotten regions in his legs that had been neglected in the hours he'd spent on the couch. He raised his glass to his mouth and downed another two shots, wiping the excess away as he smacked his lips.

"Bing? I dunno, dude. Hey, can you drink alcohol? You shoouuuld, come drink with meee."

Bing tried to remain calm. He was still reeling in shock from what he'd gleaned scanning Google's history, and now Chase was here looking like he was going to pass out for the third time this week. Honestly, dealing with a collapsing building was stressful enough without worrying about collapsing egos...

"Even if I drank alcohol, it wouldn't have the same effect on me as it does on you," Bing answered, shaking his head. "You should sit down."

"Awwh," Chase whined, but sat anyway, crossing his arms like a three year old who hadn't gotten his way. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Bing found this expression rather cute. He saved an image of Chase to his hard drive, wincing as a storage alert flashed before his eyes. Was it stalkerish to keep over a thousand pictures of Chase in his memory?

 _No_ , he decided. Chase even loved to pose for them when he was sober.

"Are you takin' pictures of me again?" Chase smirked knowingly, folding his arms with a smug expression on his face. 

"How could you tell?" Bing mused, placing a hand on the ego's back and sitting beside him. Chase laughed as he replied, Bing's core vibrating softly as the frequency was registered in his audio processors. Chase was kind, amazing, wonderful... he couldn't have killed those people. Right?

"You were starin' a bit longer than usual," Chase replied, smiling further when Bing began to blush.

"Are you embarrassed?" Chase asked when Bing failed to respond. "'M sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you... if it makes you feel better, I stare at you too,"

"You... do?" Bing asked, not sure whether to take him seriously or not. He ran a scan on Chase's blood alcohol concentration and nearly fell off the couch with shock.

"Chase, your blood is 5% alcohol- I don't... how are you not  _dead_?"

Chase just blinked at him, putting his glass down and leaning in closer. Bing made a noise out of habit that resembled a gasp.

"'Course I stare at you, you're fuckin' hot, dude," Chase scoffed. "I dunno how I'm not dead. Maybe I am dead, and I don't even know it, hey? Hey, Bing, how are you here if you aren't dead? This doesn't even look like Hell... no  _way_ was I good enough for Heaven,"

Bing closed his eyes, very concerned. Any normal human would have died at a tenth of the alcohol that was running through Chase's veins. First time drinkers especially would have been knocked out long before. Bing supposed that it was because Chase didn't possess a material body, unlike Wilford. The alcohol he consumed was just as imaginary as his own body was, in the end. If Chase didn't believe he was drunk enough to pass out, Bing supposed he wouldn't pass out. Some kind of placebo effect, he figured.

Chase went to take another shot, but Bing gripped his wrist and lowered it back down.

"Dude, I'm not gonna let you poison yourself. Stop,"

Chase looked fairly put out, but complied with Bing's request anyway. "Okay, sheesh. Only 'cause you're cute."

Did Chase flirt with everyone when he was drunk? He must, Bing deduced. Why else would he come onto a robot? Why else would he act so strange with Bing? He wasn't teasing him, was he? Making fun of his feelings?

He didn't... he didn't  _know_ , did he?

"Heeey, Jackie!" Chase greeted as the superhero entered the room. The older brother of the Septiceye tsked at the sight of them sitting on the couch, walking over.

"Chase, I haven't seen you drink before," he stated, raising an eyebrow. "Just how pissed are you?"

"All the way to fookin Dublin pissed," Chase replied, seeming to snuggle in closer to Bing. Bing supposed it was just his human need for attention kicking in. There was no way it could mean anything more, right?

Jackieboy snorted. "Wow, you two look absolutely hammered. Bing, don't tell me you've been doing shots as well?"

"No, he won't do them with me," Chase pouted. "He's being mean."

Bing rolled his eyes as Jackie chuckled at their antics.

"Hey Jackie," Chase began, reaching up to caress Bing's cheek. The android felt he might explode if his core thrummed any faster. He was already heating up inside, and his face felt as if it was aflame... did Chase have any idea what he was doing to him?

"He's really, really fuckin' cute, isn't he?"

"I suppose," Jackieboy shrugged, though he was really just humoring his brother. Bing could tell. "Not my type though."

"But he's so cool!" Chase cried indignantly, making a face at his older brother. "How can you not love him?"

"Hey, I'm not into skaters," Jackieboy  said defensively, holding up his hands. "Find me someone who appreciates justice and boundaries, and can get into a good debate. I want to date an intellectual."

"Pfft, you're no fun," Chase scoffed. "Bet you'd date a Flat-Earther. Yeah, the most uptight vegan feminist Flat-Earther that you can imagine..."

Jackieboy smirked as he walked away, shaking his head fondly. "Yeah, but you'd fuck a machine- which is stranger?"

Chase rolled his eyes. "Can you believe that fucker? I wouldn't date someone that thick, no matter what kind of credentials they had..."

"Well, I suppose we all look past a few quirks when we love someone," Bing sighed. Even, apparently, quirks like being prone to violence and alcoholism...

"Who?"

Bing looked up, seeing Chase's bright blue eyes staring back at him. "What?" He asked, confused.

"Who do you love?" Chase asked. Bing may have been wishfully thinking, but he thought he saw a pang of hurt in the ego's blue eyes.

"I never said-"

"Duuude, don't tell me you've never even thought about someone in a sexy way- you can love, can't you?"

Bing flushed as he recalled several times he'd saved a risque image of Chase to a private drive that only he could access. He couldn't help himself- Chase was just too amazing not to document. Once again, he felt a little ashamed, but then... well, Chase  _did_  consent to be photographed.

"Maybe I have," Bing admitted reluctantly.

"Wait, duuude, do robots have dicks?"

Bing coughed on saliva that wasn't present. It was mainly just a cop out so that he didn't have to discuss the topic with Chase, but it didn't work. It never did. Chase knew him too damn  _well_...

_And now, I know him too well..._

"N-no," Bing replied eventually. "Robots don't n-need reproductive organs."

"That's no fun," Chase frowned sympathetically, "You can't even masturbate, dude, it must suck to be you..."

"Yeah, I know you can't go a day without jerking it," Bing sighed, trying to turn the spotlight away from himself. These questions shouldn't have been making him feel awkward, but he was so flustered by them that his internal fans were straining to cool him off.

"How do you know?" Chase asked, and Bing detected that he was sobering quickly. His blood was already at 2%, and while that was still high, it was much lower than before.

"Your search history, duh," Bing replied honestly. It wasn't like he watched Chase 24/7, after all. He did have  _some_ morals. "If I'm not mistaken, your favourite video is titled 'Bareback-"

Chase hastily pressed his hand to Bing's mouth, shushing him. "Dude, Robbie's here!"

"Right," Bing said sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he looked at Robbie and Host on the sofa next to them. As if Chase wasn't talking about robot dicks earlier, honestly... "And you're so convinced that Robbie doesn't watch porn because...?"

Chase rolled his eyes. "Jackie doesn't let him near the stuff. Stuck-up prude he is... I think he's just jealous he isn't gettin' dicked down by anyone, y'know?"

"Makes sense," Bing hummed, a warning flashing behind his eyes. He suspended the update for what seemed like the fiftieth time this month- now was just not the time to be caught up in an android necessity.

Though his battery did seem to be running low. He'd never had the chance to charge up since yesterday, and it was  _really_ taking its toll on his functionality.

 _I can manage, though_ , Bing thought to himself.

"You really think he'd date a vegan?" Bing questioned after a few moments. He was pleased to note that Chase hadn't touched his alcohol in the last few minutes.  _Progress_...

"He's pansexual, he'd date anyone," Chase answered jokingly. "Anyone  _boring_ , that is. He's got too much excitement to date anyone we know- he needs someone to tie him down."

"Look at you, the love guru," Marvin tsked from opposite them. He was sitting beside Yandereplier, who was picking at his nails with a small dagger. Bing had seen them arguing earlier, though they seemed to have at least made peace since then. It was nice- given all of the rest of the mayhem unfolding around them- that at least some people were trying to be happy.

_Trying..._

Chase grinned. "Ah, magic man. Show me the ways of the everlasting boner."

"Viagra," Marvin commented dryly, though his cheeks pinked all the same.

"You don't need it," Yan smirked devilishly. Chase wolf whistled as Marvin held his head in his hands, groaning heavily.

"Yan, you don't... have to say things like that," Marvin sighed, trying not to let his frustration out. it wasn't just Yan, really. So many things had been piling up, so much tension in each room of this dreadful house... Marvin didn't know how much more he could take before he snapped. He didn't want to hurt the people he loved...

"But I'm proud of my Senpai," Yan pouted. Marvin felt something within him sink at the name, sighing once more and fidgeting softly. He'd come to realise that he didn't much like being called 'Senpai'. Much like 'Daddy' and other terms like 'Slut' and 'Master'- it all seemed so dehumanising. He liked to believe that Yan saw him as more than an object, but he couldn't help but feel that the Japanese schoolboy didn't really love him at all.

Like someone whose father left when they were young, or someone who struggles with dominance using these names because it fills something for them that they never had. Marvin sometimes felt like Yan only wanted him because he appeared in the Void with an idea and got stuck on it. It felt... pretty bad.

He could only hope it wasn't really the case

"C'mon, Bing," Chase snorted, dragging his android friend up as he stood. "Let's leave the love nuggets alone,"

"Love nuggets?" Bing questioned, but didn't get an answer. Marvin watched as they both left the room, sighing to himself once more. It was getting dark- from what he could tell, everyone else in the room had fallen asleep. Robbie was snoozing softly in the arms of Host, who was snoring quite profoundly. Jackieboy was resting in an armchair next to them, eyes closed, not making any other sound. He could hear Schneep's distressed mutterings through the thin walls, but nothing he could say to the doctor would help him, Marvin knew.

He could remember a brief time where it had just been he, Jackieboy, Anti, and Septiplier. Though by the time Marvin was born, Septiplier had already confined himself to his room. At the time, Marvin hadn't known just how much the people around him would change his life. He'd been so carefree, happy, optimistic... now, it seemed, he was just a failed magician with anger issues.

But, given the chance, and looking at Yan's smiling face before him... he wouldn't go back and change a single thing. He was lucky, really, to have such amazing brothers, such a devoted and caring boyfriend. Undeserving, really...

_"Dark's probably not going to like you much," Anti shrugged as the Septiceyes walked from Jackieboy's house to the manor. It was a short trip, but Marvin still felt incredibly nervous- and that was right... he hadn't gone by Marvin then. He'd been Jack- Jack the Magnificent. He'd only changed his name after Anti had killed him... He just didn't think he could handle being 'Jack' anymore, after that..._

_Besides. It was hard to determine if someone was talking to Jackieboy, himself, or talking about their creator. Nobody had been unhappy with the name change when it came around..._

_"Why?" Marvin had asked worriedly. He was usually so confident about what he did, and he usually didn't care much for Anti's words. After all, he wasn't an official ego. Jack didn't even know he existed, the glitch was just kind of... there. Being his annoying self._

_Jackieboy put a reassuring hand on Marvin's shoulder. "It's not that he's gonna hate you, it's just... don't expect to be great friends with him. He has a type. A giggly, green, glitchy type."_

_"Yeah, bitch, I'm that type," Anti cackled. "Oh, lighten up magic boy! You're not gonna die in here!"_

_As soon as Marvin walked through the door, any of his previous trust in Anti died completely._

_A guy wearing faded suspenders, with the pinkest mustache Marvin had ever seen, was shooting real bullets nonchalantly at the newcomers. Anti spiraled out of range, abandoning his so called 'family' to talk to the scary looking ego that sat alone on a sofa. Marvin concluded that must be Dark._

_Various other egos that vaguely resembled Markiplier were dotted around, all engaging in strange activities. One seemed to be muttering to himself, sitting carefully as another who appeared to be a doctor tended to the bandages wrapped around his eyes._

_"You still don't remember what happened, Author?" The doctor queried with a deep sigh. The bandaged man paused his insufferable rambling and cocked his head to the side._

_"The Host replies- It comes and goes, like birds flying south for the winter. Yet The Host fears that the migration is now complete. It will not ever be known what has truly happened to The Author. To release such information to the fans would simply validate the postmodern theory proposed by Roland Barthes in the 1960s."_

_"And what's that?" The doctor mused._

_The bandaged man, The Host, smiled wryly. "Why, Death of the Author. It is poetic, is it not? Mark's canon will never be the same as the canon proposed by his fanbase. Is The Host a murderer? Is he cursed? That, The Host reminds Dr. Iplier, is the beauty of the world. Nothing is set in stone. We can be whatever we write ourselves to be."_

_Marvin became chillingly aware that The Host was looking at him. What lay beneath those bandages? Were his eyes infected, or perhaps, even carved out? It didn't escape the magician that the copious amounts of blood coming from the man couldn't have been from anything else._

_"The Host would like to greet our guest," The man uttered. The doctor looked up and met Marvin's eyes- a curious expression taking over his defined features. He was clean shaven, unlike some of his brethren. It gave him a much younger appearance than Marvin's, even though the Septiceye was barely a week old._

_"I'm Dr. Iplier," the doctor greeted, shaking Marvin's hand. "I'm sorry. You're dying."_

_"I- what?" Marvin asked, suddenly sick to his stomach._

_"Fookin hell, Doc," Jackieboy interceded. "You're scaring him."_

_The doctor chuckled. "All in good fun. Welcome, er..."_

_"I'm Jack," Marvin introduced, though still slightly shaken. "Jack the Magnificent. I'm a magician."_

_"I'll assume you're Anti and Jackie's brother, then?" The doctor mused. "Wonderful, always nice to have new faces around here. It's been rather lonely before you youngsters began showing up, with only Anti and Septiplier to keep us Ipliers company... but I insist, you must meet my other siblings."_

_"Watch out!"_

_Marvin had barely any time to react before he was slammed to the ground, a man with bright red hair falling on top of him. He hissed slightly in pain as something sharp began to dig into his side, groaning aloud._

_"Sorry!" The man gasped, and Marvin barely recognised the lilt in the voice that was apparently characteristic of an Iplier. He tried to sit up, but he was pushed gently back down by someone he realised was the doctor._

_"Yan, how many times have I told you not to run with your weapons?" Dr. Iplier scolded._

_"Sorry Doc!" The red headed man seemed to apologise. Marvin looked up and met a pair of worried chocolate brown eyes. The man who had fallen on him was wearing a Japanese schoolgirl outfit, complete with black stockings and a neat blue skirt. He had a decent stubble and wore a pair of square glasses, his skin a nice tan in comparison to Marvin's milky white._

_Oh fuck. He was already falling for him, wasn't he?_

_"Not to worry, Yan..." Dr. Iplier sighed, bandaging Marvin's side carefully. "You're lucky I had bandages on hand this time- he should be fine."_

_Marvin choked a little on his own saliva as he continued to be held down. Everyone in the large room could see him lying here, wounded like a sick dog. Dark stood over him, watching him carefully with a notable lack of emotion. Anti was at his side, a fake look of concern plastered across his face. Of course, he couldn't really be that concerned for him, Marvin knew. Jackieboy had warned him about their deranged older brother._

_About how his closest friends were a demon and a mass murderer. About how he had criminal tendencies, a questionable sense of morality. About the time Jackieboy had caught him talking to himself, the time Anti had threatened him with a knife to get him out of his home._

_Marvin didn't trust that glitch as far as he could throw him._

_There were others he didn't recognise- a man in a black suit, an alien-looking being, a stiff looking guy in a glowing blue shirt. He shied away from them, looking instead at the reason he lay here._

_Yan._

_"I'm Yandereplier," He greeted, looking curiously at Marvin's face. Marvin couldn't help but gasp when his hands reached for the curious cat mask he was born with._

_"J-Jack," he stuttered in return, letting the doctor help him up. "I'm Jack..."_

_"What a nice name," Yan sighed with a smile. "You look new around here- are you Anti's brother? He's pretty cool- I taught him everything he knows about knives."_

_"Knives?" Marvin asked queasily._

_"Yeah, silly!" Yan giggled. "I'm a yandere. I live out my life in hopes that one day I'll find my Senpai... the only one who can make me feel truly happy."_

_"What does that have to do with knives?" Marvin asked cautiously._

_Yan smirked. "They're for anyone who gets in my way. You understand, right? I can't lose my Senpai. He's all I want, all I care about... everything else is expendable. Nothing matters but him. I must have him. But enough about me, what about you? Are you a wizard? Are you going to eat my heart?"_

_"What? No!" Marvin replied, admonished. "I mean, yeah, I'm a sort of wizard, I guess... but I won't eat your heart! That's sick!"_

_"Where I come from, wizards only eat the hearts of beautiful girls," Yan sighed wistfully. "I know I shouldn't want anything like that to happen to me, but I hope Senpai thinks I'm beautiful. Oh, silly me. Of course Senpai will think I'm beautiful. He'll love me."_

_"I think you're beautiful," Marvin spoke without thinking. Though he knew he should regret it, nothing could compare to the pride that sparkled in Yan's eyes at his words._

_"R-really?" Yan blushed. "Oh... what are these... what's my... feelings? I can... I can feel?"_

_Marvin didn't realise he was smiling like a dope until he heard the sniggering of the other Ipliers behind him._

_Yan gasped. "You're my Senpai. You're... oh, I've found you! At last!"_

_Yan threw himself around Marvin without a second thought, crying into his shoulder with happiness. Marvin awkwardly hugged back, enjoying the sweet scent of cherry blossoms and metallic blood that seemed to flow from the man before him. He hadn't known what he was signing up for when he let those words leave his lips, but how could he retract them? They were true. Yan_ was _beautiful._

And even now, when everything had fallen apart, it was one of the only things Marvin was certain of. When his talent for magic meant nothing in this void, as all of the egos could match him without a second thought, he'd remembered the happy laughter that Yan had graced him with when he'd summoned a rose for him on Valentine's Day a while back.

When Anti had cornered him and his two brothers, murdered them, he'd woken again to Yan's caring words and protective nature. Yan had promised him that Anti wouldn't come near him again, and Marvin had felt a little safer in his arms that night.

Even when he remembered the terrible things Yan had done in the name of love, Marvin couldn't bring himself to hate his lover. Yan  _needed_ him. Somehow, Marvin had something that made Yan want to give himself to him, long after his identity crisis and his failed magical ways had taken their toll. Yan had loyalty.

And Marvin guessed that was what he needed as well.

But loyalty for what? His Senpai? Yan had jumped on him at the first compliment, and even though a relationship had blossomed forth, Marvin couldn't help but think he was being unfair to Yan. He should have known that the man would latch onto the first one who showed him affection. He should have been wiser.

How could he provide Yan with the love and affection he needed, if Marvin couldn't even love himself?

"Senpai?"

As Marvin looked up, he found his lips meeting Yan's in a sweet kiss, losing himself in the embrace before shaking his head. He bit his lip, savouring the taste of blood that lingered behind. But he couldn't just  _do_  this, not now... he didn't feel so good about himself.

"What's wrong?" Yan asked, concerned. "I... I'm sorry for oversharing earlier, really. I shouldn't have told them about-"

"No, no, it's not..." Marvin sighed, chest shuddering with every breath. "It's not...  _that_."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Yan asked quietly, nibbling softly at his ear. Marvin closed his eyes in temporary bliss, eyebrows scrunching together. He should push Yan away... but he couldn't.

"I want to, but... I don't know how to say it without sounding... douche-y,"

Yan kissed him again, slow and loving. Marvin felt guilt pooling in his gut, letting out a small whine as his eyes began to tear up. No matter how many times he tried, he couldn't blink them away.

"Shh, shh..." Yan soothed, shifting so that he was straddling Marvin's hips as he pulled the Septiceye in for a hug. "I'm here..."

"I know," Marvin uttered shakily. He didn't want to tell Yan that his being here was the problem in itself...

"Do you want to...?" Yan whispered suggestively, moving his hips seductively. Marvin bit back a moan, not wanting Yan to get the wrong idea. They couldn't just solve all of their problems with sex. They needed to sit down and have an actual conversation for once.

But Marvin couldn't say that.

"Sweetheart... you're so tense," Yan mumbled, pressing their bodies together. Marvin could feel the heat between them rising, the scent of cherry blossoms invading his senses. He let out a small sigh, running his hands through the blood-red hair he was so fond of.

Yan pressed a few more lasting kisses to Marvin's lips, before gently laying him down on the couch and kneeling over him.

"Please... let me do this for you," Yan pleaded quietly. Marvin sighed. He couldn't resist the man before him. The temptation and love outpouring just for him... Marvin was unworthy. But Yan simply wouldn't hear that.

Marvin halfheartedly reached down to unbutton his trousers, shimmying further up to give Yan some room on the couch. Perhaps this really would help. Perhaps it would make everything better.

But perhaps, just like the last hundred times, Yan making love to him would do nothing at all to soothe his troubled mind.


	14. Chapter 13

**~Groundlands~**

Mark wasn't prepared for Amy to arrive when she did, but the look on her face told him not to get excited. She was on the phone, talking to a man with a very familiar Irish accent, and Mark's mind took that information and ran rampant.

What had Dark done now? Had he killed someone? Had he broken something else, had he run off? Or had he gone back to where he came from?

 _No_ , Mark decided. That was too  _hopeful_.

"What's happened?" Mark asked, knowing nothing he was thinking of could even hope to imitate the truth. Amy muttered a few words reassuringly into the speaker before passing Mark the phone.

Seán was there, looking as though he'd been through hell and back. His hair was a mess, his shirt was creased, and he was sweating like nobody's business.

"Good God, what happened to you?" Mark uttered without thinking.

"Shite, Mark, I... I don't know for sure, but..."

The poor man was trembling, tears falling from the edges of his eyes, so broken and unstable. Mark had never seen him like this before- sure, he cried in a few videos, but never so haggardly. Whatever happened must have been really fucked up.

Mark angrily shoved his calendars aside once more, thinking of ways he could punch Dark in the face.

"M-Mark?" Seán stuttered. "I... I think Dark and I..."

"He thinks he was raped," Amy filled in, looking a little queasy. She, too, had shed a few tears, it seemed.

"I'll kill that fucking demon," Mark growled as soon as he heard the confirmation. Dark... he'd never been good news. But- wait,  _raped_? 

His mouth fell open as the words finally sank in. "What do you mean 'he  _thinks_ '-?"

"I don't remember it," Seán muttered, his lip trembling. "But fook... how could it be anything else? She was there, in my bed, on top of me, but she was knocked out and bruised all over. I... I was fookin terrified, Mark, I had to talk to someone, I..."

"Calm down Seán, breathe..." Mark tried to soothe, but it wasn't hard to hear the anger in his voice. His heart was racing- Dark was many things, but Mark never thought he'd stoop to  _this_...

"Signe's coming home tomorrow, Mark, don't you get it? I can't look her in the eyes after this- especially since we've been so distant lately, and Dark's still here, and... I don't know what to do..."

"You're having a panic attack," Mark noted. He pushed his own temper down. It wouldn't be right to yell at the person he was trying to protect, after all. "What do you mean by 'she'?"

"D-Dark, she was...  _female_ , somehow. I don't understand how he did it, b-but, it was definitely him. It couldn't have been anyone else..."

Mark grimaced, his fist clenching despite his effort to calm himself down. "I thought I told you not to trust him, Seán..."

"I still don't know what happened," Seán cried. "The last thing I remember is falling asleep, and then suddenly there's a chick in my bed, and... I can't hate him. Not yet. Not until I know what happened..."

"I can't believe you're not mad about this," Mark interjected.

Seán looked up at the camera, glaring at Mark through the call. "Of course I'm angry, Mark. I'm angry at myself. How could I... I'd never  _cheat_. Not on Signe. Not on  _anyone_ , it's horrible, I-"

"Because he fucking raped you!" Mark growled, getting to his feet. "You need to get out of there- he's clearly got no morals, and he won't hesitate to hurt you again. I knew it- I knew I shouldn't have let-"

"He wouldn't- not the Dark I know," Seán muttered, but even his words sounded like half truths.

"You don't know him like I do," Mark sighed angrily. "It doesn't matter what charming bullshit he used on you, he's a no-good sack of shit! He's killed! He's tortured! He's a fucking social manipulator, he's good at making you like him enough to follow his  _stupid_  plans-!"

"No!" Seán interrupted, tears shining in his eyes. "You're wrong about him! He's just so tired, and confused, and he's so close to breaking- you haven't seen him at his worst, Mark-"

"I've seen him on the brink of death and insanity," Mark hissed. "You don't  _know_ him. Stop beating yourself up when it's  _him_ that's the problem!"

"It takes two to fooking tango, Mark!" Seán uttered defiantly. "I'm... I'm no better..."

Mark let out a long sigh, holding his head in his hands. There was clearly no use in arguing his point, if all of his words were falling on deaf ears. He had to focus on the present... "Signe's coming back tomorrow... right. What can we do until then?"

Seán let out a small sob, and only then did Mark really get a glimpse of the pain he was going through. He didn't know for sure what happened, despite it being obvious it wasn't his fault. He probably still felt guilty for even thinking about it when he was already committed to Signe. Mark understood that. Even if someone pinned the American down and defiled him, and he knew it wasn't his fault, he'd still feel that he'd done Amy wrong.

"I'm sorry," Mark told him, and Seán smiled sadly.

"For Dark, or for your obvious anger issues?"

"I'll settle for both," Mark sighed. "Is there any way you can put him on, so I can yell at him while I've got the guts?"

"She's out cold," Seán muttered. "I just checked on her again... why would she be covered with bruises, Mark? Did... Did  _I_ do that?"

"I don't know," Mark replied honestly. "I really... I have even less of a clue than you do. But it must be late- I don't know if you can get some sleep, you look like you need it."

"I don't know if I can sleep in that bed tonight," Seán shivered. "I... I'll try. Thanks, Mark. And you, Amy. You guys are the best friends I could have in times like this..."

"Try to get some rest, Seán," Amy put in, smiling through some tears as Seán ended the call.

Mark let out a long sigh. "That absolute sack of  _shit_ , Amy. I don't know what to do with him."

"There's not much you  _can_ do," Amy replied, sitting beside Mark and placing a soothing hand on his shoulder. It did wonders to help him calm down.

"If it wasn't for me, Dark wouldn't have even known he existed," Mark mumbled to himself.

"Hey, don't you do exactly what you just snapped at Seán for," Amy hushed. "You couldn't have known that Dark was even on that side of the globe, Mark. There wasn't anything you could have done about it."

"I know, but I need something to be mad at," Mark huffed.

"Come on, let's go," Amy sighed, picking up her phone. "These calendars are driving you more insane than you already are,"

**~Void~**

Bing didn't know how this had happened. How he'd ended up pressed against the wall, Chase kissing down his neck, completely unsure of what he should do with the hands that lay idle at his side. There was nothing in his programming about what to do if a drunken man suddenly launched himself at the android and attacked him with flirtatious advances.

Bing's system couldn't quite cope with the amount of information that was coursing through him- His skin picking up on Chase's addicting touch, his audio processors fizzling and crackling as Chase muttered softly in his ears. He was frozen, both figuratively and literally. Even if he wanted to move, his reactions were lagging so far behind that he'd only registered that Chase was touching him after his shirt had come off.

Bing's breathing hastened to match that of Chase, who was running his hands over the bumps in Bing's chest that contained the latches to his internal compartments. What should he do? On one hand, this was Chase. He greatly enjoyed being around Chase- to the point of obsession. The man was driving him wild, so wild that even his highly advanced system couldn't keep track of the emotions he was feeling.

On the other hand, he was a robot. He shouldn't  _have_  emotions in the first place. He shouldn't have a desire to let Chase touch him this way. He shouldn't even have a desire against it. Why was this happening? Why was Bing feeling so conflicted about it?

"Mhm... Stacy..." Chase uttered softly, and Bing felt a new emotion.

_Hurt?_

Was he nothing but a drunken rebound? Someone to take it out on because Chase was dealing with his experiences so terribly that he'd turned to alcohol? Bing shouldn't have been hurt by that one word, but inexplicably he felt utterly  _betrayed_.

Before he could think to reply, Chase suddenly jumped away from him. All hopes of calling him out lost, Bing stepped forward tentatively. Something was wrong. Chase was  _shaking_.

"St-Stacy..." Chase muttered again, tears falling from his eyes. "Shit... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Stace, it won't happen again,"

"Chase?" Bing asked worriedly, placing a hand on the man's shoulder.

Chase didn't notice him at all. It was like another man was here, shivering, seeing things that the Chase Bing knew had never even witnessed.

"I promise, honey, I won't go to Chad's place anymore... you have my w-word. You h-have... fuck, I messed up. I messed up again, I went there. I smoked, even though I p-promised you... I got caught... we... we were fined... fuck, and Emma's game... I..."

Bing caught him as he fainted, ignoring the warning signs flashing before his eyes. They both fell with a resounding thud, Bing taking most of the damage as his servos locked up and his core ceased humming. Chase continued to mutter under his breath, holding onto the search engine tightly.

This was how Dr. Schneeplestein found them when he rushed hastily to the scene, having heard the loud noise from his office. He instantly knelt and checked to see if Chase was unconscious, breathing a sigh of relief when the man blinked warily up at him.

"Are you- oh, uh... you found them..."

Dr. Schneeplestein glanced up to see Dr. Iplier, looking as if he was going to back away from them. He smiled warmly, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Komm, Doc. Help me vith ze android," Dr. Schneeplestein instructed, taking half of Bing's weight and preparing to lift. Dr. Iplier did the same with the other side, and together they brought the two lovebirds to their feet. Bing remained still, slumped against the wall. Chase rubbed at his bleary eyes and staggered slightly as he took in his surroundings.

"Dude... I must have gotten trashed," Chase muttered aloud. "I've got the biggest headache..."

"You may have ze mild concussion," Dr. Schneeplestein explained. "You und Bing took a tumble, it seems. Hmm... und vhy is he not vearing a shirt, Chase?"

Chase reddened considerably, picking up Bing's shirt from where it lay on the ground.

"I-I dunno... oh, shut up. It probably wasn't even me..."

"Who else would it have been?" Dr. Iplier mused halfheartedly.

"Fuck you guys," Chase sighed in defeat.

Dr. Schneeplestein shook his head softly. "Oh, Chase. So young... komm mit mir, mein Bruder. I vill get you something for deine Kopfschmerzen,"

"I'll take care of Bing, looks like he's forgotten to charge again..." Dr. Iplier sighed to himself.

Dr. Schneeplestein paused at the door, looking back. He smiled again, this time a little wider.

"Ich liebe dich immer noch, mein Schatz,"

Dr. Iplier looked up, meeting those gorgeous blue eyes he'd fallen in love with. He smiled in return, despite the sinking feeling in his chest.

"I love you too, Henrik..."

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

"You crochet?" Halter asked softly from the doorway, not wanting to disturb Anti. The man in question was sitting in his only chair, hook in hand, making what appeared to be a scarf from a multicoloured ball of wool.

"It keeps me from thinking about doing horrible things," Anti uttered quietly, hands moving elaborately, stitching fifty times a minute.

"Is that a scarf?" Halter continued when Anti made no move to do so himself.

"It's a colourful rectangle that I'm probably going to unpick later in a fit of destructive proportions," Anti sighed to himself, turning the product over in his hands. "Why are you so interested?"

Halter stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "No reason, I... It's just that it's strange. I never took you to be someone who likes crochet."

Anti chuckled lowly, jabbing the hook in harder than necessary and warping the weaved pattern. "I have Jack to thank for that... The first time he really openly acknowledged me, and he tells them I like to fooking knit... now, it's all I really  _can_  do around here. He hasn't given me any other hobbies. And I can't think of finding anything better to do with my time."

 _Than hurting myself_...

The words were unspoken, but Halter didn't need them to know what Anti had meant.

"You really don't like him, huh?" Halter queried, and Anti paused what he was doing to look up.

It was hard to see because of his dark sclera, but Anti's eyes were brimming with tears of anguish.

"Oh, I used to  _dream_  of meeting him," Anti spat. "I used to want nothing more than to meet the man who stuck me here with no knowledge of who I was, or what I was meant to be. Only to find that he never wanted me. He never cared about me. Even now, to him, I'm just evil. A  _mistake_. A  _glitch_  in his precious fuckin' system. While he dotes and swoons over my brothers, I'm just some kind of joke to him. Fuckin'  _crochet_! To think I ever took pride in his name..."

Halter didn't really know what to say. But he couldn't say nothing. No, that was the worst thing you could do to someone who was obviously starved for understanding. Halter didn't understand. But damned if he wasn't going to try.

"When were you... y'know, born?" Halter asked, not wanting to pry, but sensing that the problem had started with his roots.

Anti set down his crochet, holding his head in his hands. "A long time ago... before M-Mark's egos. It was just me, D-Dark, and Wilford here..."

The memories danced before Anti like embers from a blazing fire. Searing his eyes, burning him, fogging his mind.

_He'd come into existence alone, and nervous, and scared. He was there, in a seemingly endless expanse of darkness, with no knowledge but for how to speak and that he was, in fact, male._

_He didn't know how long he'd lain there before he'd been found. Days, weeks? Time was such a fickle construct in the Void. Until Google had arrived, they'd had no reliable connection to the Groundlands- and so it had been impossible to know Anti's true date of birth, given the clock had only started ticking on Halloween of 2014._

_He hadn't thought to wander, hadn't thought to find anyone, because who was there to find?_

_Until the day that Dark had stumbled upon him._

_"Are you lost?"_

_The voice was deep and boomed loudly in his ears as he sat up frantically, desperate for any external force to enter his life. Had he been too eager? Yes. Too naive? Probably. If Anti had known Dark was a demon, incapable of love, would he have allowed himself to grow as attached as he had?_

_..._

_Anti was ashamed to admit that he might have._

_"Who- who's there?" He had asked the darkness as a figure stepped forth. The two men seemed to be about the same height, but the other man was definitely more impressive. He wore a tuxedo and held a crystal-topped cane in his grey hands, his dark hair falling over his eyes._

_"My name is Dark," the man greeted, holding out a hand. Anti had taken it, the rush of someone else's touch on his skin sending shivers through him. In his black shirt and ripped jeans, Anti felt inferior to Dark. Was the dress code here really so smart?_

_"What's your name?" Dark asked after a few moments._

_"I... don't have one," Anti had confessed. It was something he had pondered in those long hours he'd spent on his lonesome, but a question he hadn't answered nonetheless. How could he name himself if he didn't know who he was, after all?_

_Dark had smiled softly, stepping closer. Anti had seen his eyes shining bright blue with something that Anti guessed was... happiness? Yes, it must be. The cheerfulness in his eyes seemed to transform his figure from a brooding demon to a caring, lively man. Anti found that transition quite astounding._

_"Now, we can't have that," Dark teased lightly. "What am I going to call you? You're quite unlike anyone I've had the misfortune of meeting here, you know. Not a demon, nor a mindless parasite. Like the antithesis of a mean spirit, the opposite of a rainy day,"_

_Anti had smiled, having been entranced by his smooth words. He hadn't known that hearing a voice other than his own could be such a wonderful experience until now. He'd only known this man for a short while, yet he'd already experienced so much more wonderful things than he had on his own._

_"I like that," Anti had said._

_Dark seemed taken aback. "Antithesis? Oh dear, that won't do. Naming you after a literary device is like naming you after a fruit or beverage, and I won't take responsibility for such an atrocity,"_

_Anti hadn't known why he'd pushed the matter at all. Truly, Antithesis was a horrible name. But it may have been the way the name rolled so delicately from Dark's lips, or how his heart had stirred when the syllables first reached his ears. Maybe it was because the word formed the first piece of the puzzle that was his identity._

_"No, I really do like it," Anti reiterated, lips curving into his first real grin. "You can call me Anti for short,"_

_Dark let out a laugh, and it was music to Anti's ears. He wanted to hear it again, and again. Anti, at the time, hadn't realised that these feelings were only specific to Dark. After all, he didn't know anyone aside from the man that had greeted him moments before._

_But at the time, how could he have known it was the blooming buds of love?_

_"Alright then, Anti," Dark smiled, and_ holy shit the name sounded even better when it was drawn out like this. _"Would you accompany me? I would so dearly like to get to know you better. You can meet my friend, Will... that is, of course, if you would like to?"_

"Of course I said yes," Anti sighed, taking a deep breath. He'd shuddered through every sentence of that recount, remembering just how amazing it had been when it was just he and Dark. Before he'd met the rest of Dark's siblings as they appeared, one by one. Before he'd realised just how much of a lovestruck fool he'd become.

"Your full name is really Antithesis?" Halter asked incredulously. "What on Earth possessed you to-"

"Because I liked the way he said it," Anti interrupted. "Because I didn't know who I was. Because it was the first thing someone had noticed about me, so I latched onto it without a second thought. I'm still an antithesis, I guess. I'm the antithesis of happiness. Of fulfillment. Of hope..."

"I'm guessing the meeting with Dark didn't go to plan?" Halter queried.

Anti laughed sarcastically, his crochet long forgotten. "Oh no, the meeting went fuckin' perfectly. We hit it off immediately- and Wilford was a riot, too. Everything was great until..."

Halter didn't want to pry too far, so he opened his mouth to say it was fine- they could talk later, or even never, if Anti wasn't ready.

But Anti swallowed, and kept going.

"Until I realised that I... I l-loved him,"

_He supposed he should have always known. How else could he explain how his cheeks flushed when Dark spoke, or how he didn't feel fulfilled unless he was close to the demon, or how he seemed to melt at Dark's touch while others had no effect on him?_

_Anti guessed he was just amazingly stupid not to have figured it out sooner._

_It was a quiet day in the manor- the only sound to be heard was the insufferable rambling of Dark's brother, The Host. Anti had been trying to relax while his favourite demon was away- but eventually the constant muttering got on his nerves._

_He had burst open the door to The Host's room, not even startling the blindfolded man with the loud thud that resounded through the halls._

_"The Host is then rudely interrupted by Antithesis, or Anti as The Host has been told to call him. The Host continues to narrate as Anti paces in frustration, not speaking his mind and resorting to primal impulses to attempt to convey his point to The Host."_

_"Shut up," Anti muttered. "Can you talk a little quieter in here?"_

_The Host tilted his head to the side. "The Host tells Antithesis that if he can hear The Host from the living area, he may have a problem."_

_Anti groaned aloud._

_"Or maybe, Antithesis is just looking for a distraction until his beloved Dark returns home from his meeting. Anti would be pleased to hear that he is standing outside The Host's office as The Host speaks, watching the scene play out."_

_Anti whipped around to see Dark stepping inside, his demeanour immediately brightening._

_"Darky!"_

_"Hello, Anti," Dark greeted, pulling Anti in for a welcoming hug that lingered a little longer than necessary. "I hope you weren't giving The Host any trouble?"_

_"Nah," Anti responded cheekily. "I was so bored, Darky. You should take me with you next time,"_

_Dark shook his head fondly. "No, I won't allow you to be corrupted by my associates. I want you to remain my little ball of sunshine, the one thing I look forward to after a long day..."_

_Anti pouted. Dark chuckled in return, hugging him once more._

_"Please, Anti. For me?"_

_"O-Okay," Anti replied, flustered._

_Dark smiled softly once more. "Meet me upstairs in my quarters, Anti. I'll tell you all about it,"_

_Anti had barely been able to hold in his excitement- he loved it when Dark's attention was focused solely on him. He was about to leave after the demon, when something The Host said caught his attention._

_"The Host observes the two lovebirds as they continue to flirt in his office, before Darkiplier takes his leave. The Host questions Anti as to whether or not he has realised how deep his feelings for the demon lie? At Anti's confusion, The Host elaborates. In all the time that The Host has known Darkiplier, there has been only one person so ecstatic to be in his presence. It is quite obvious, to The Host at least, that Anti harbours a strong emotional connection to the demon, one that the demon may not be able to return."_

_Anti's grip on reality seemed to waver as he thought about it. Was it true? Could he really have romantic intentions towards Dark?_

_Looking back, of course he did. But nothing was so simple then._

_"Just... just be quiet," Anti sighed, walking out of the office._

_He'd avoided The Host after that, scared of his own feelings. Because even though Anti wanted to toss the thought aside, it slowly began to click into place. He really did like Dark, like,_ really _like him. But demons can't love- that was just common knowledge. Even a demon so caring and diplomatic, like Dark._

_Why had Anti set himself up for such major heartache? Why had he allowed himself to fall so completely into this endless spiral of one-sided affection? Was he really so naive?_

"I don't know if it was because I realised just how much my life circled around him, or if it was because my first brother arrived the next day, but after that, I wasn't right. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't talk, I couldn't breathe without thinking I wasn't good enough for him. And he paid me no mind, like I was  _nothing_."

Halter placed a hand hesitantly on Anti's shoulder, rubbing it softly. "He didn't love you in return? That... that must have sucked, man."

Anti scoffed. "You may think that unrequited love is the worst feeling in the world. But nothing compares to witnessing the moment the one you care the most for stops believing in you."

Anti closed his eyes in pain, snatching his crochet and unpicking it without remorse. Halter decided that this was enough talking for the day. He hadn't experienced anything like Anti had, and he felt way out of his comfort zone asking him all these questions. But he still felt that progress had been made. And for that, Halter would ask anything.

Anti tossed the hook aside, not seeming to care where it ended up. He peered out of the window, noticing something approaching in the distance. His eyes widened and he stepped back, knife in hand. Yet the expression on his face was more surprised than angry.

"Is that... Yan?"


	15. Chapter 14

**~Void~**

"I'm glad you and the Doc aren't fighting anymore," Chase hiccuped as he stumbled into the office. It had been separated by a flimsy divider that had been summoned by Schneep at Jackieboy's insistence, and Chase could hear the muffled noises of Dr. Iplier restarting Bing just a few feet away, on the other side of the room. Jeez... they were really taking this break seriously...

Schneep shook his head in exasperation. "Ve vere never fighting, Chase. But I do vish he hadn't taken my request to be separated to heart- I merely vanted us to be less stressed, vhat vith all ze chaos lately. But he cannot stay in ze same room vith me vithout running, und it makes me vonder... if zat vas ze right decision at all."

"Dude, I... don't know," Chase sighed, at a loss for words. "I wish I could help, I really do, but I'm not very good at relationships."

Schneep chuckled lightly. "Zat is not vhat Bing thinks, mein Bruder,"

Chase groaned exaggeratedly. "Look, can I just get some meds for my head and go? I don't wanna inconvenience you or anything-"

Schneep scoffed. "Nonsense, Chase. You couldn't be a trouble if you tried."

The doctor forcibly pushed Chase into a chair, feeling his forehead carefully.

"Varm. But no bump, it vas lucky zat Bing vas there to break your fall,"

"Is he gonna be okay?" Chase asked a little hesitantly.

Schneep shrugged. "I vork vith humans, Chase, not machines. But I'm sure zat ze Doc vill heal ihn of any ills right away."

As if on cue, a start-up jingle began to sound from opposite the divider. Both Septiceyes smiled in relief. Bing wasn't dead quite yet...

"Bing, can you hear me?" Dr. Iplier's voice sounded through the divider. It sounded strained and weak, and Schneep let out a little sigh of what Chase interpreted as regret.

"Restoring backup," Bing spoke in monotone, orange lights flashing visibly through the bottom of the divider. "Component 3339-6887 damaged. Android will require thorough cleaning and a service check. Storage drive: 'MEMORY' corrupted. Retrieving uncorrupted files... 20356 files saved of 30685..."

Chase's eyes widened, believing he'd lost far more memory than he really had, but Schneep wasted no time placing a reassuring hand on his brother's shoulder. "Zat isn't much. He vill likely only have lost ze last zwei Stunden. Ach, es tut mir leid- he von't remember vhy he vasn't vearing his shirt earlier."

" _I_ don't even remember why he wasn't wearing a shirt!" Chase huffed, embarrassed yet still relieved that Bing wasn't an amnesiac. Schneep looked concerned.

"You vere suffering ze memory loss before falling? Oh dear, zat is nicht gut... das ist  _sehr_  nicht gut. Tell me, vhat is ze last thing you remember?"

Chase's eyebrows furrowed. "I... I dunno. I was pretty pissed, Schneep. I think I remember talking to Marvin about dicks."

Schneep groaned aloud. "Of course, vhat else vould I expect from you two... hmph. Und Marvin is supposed to be ze third eldest- he's more childish zhan zat Tommy Tickler!"

Chase bit his lip. His brothers often avoided talking about the eldest Septiceye unless they could help it. Chase had never met him personally, but he'd heard all the stories. How he was always so different from Jackie, Marvin and Schneep, until the day he turned on them and killed them all in cold blood.

Marvin became queasy when he was brought up. Chase wondered sometimes if it was because Yan and Anti had been close- they both liked knives, and they'd lived alongside each other long before Chase had, after all. It was no secret that while Marvin really loved Yan, he was still very uncomfortable around sharp objects because of what had happened to him and his brothers.

Jackieboy just became angry at his mention. He was quick to shut down the conversation, not wanting to relive the pain, most likely. And for the superhero who made it his mission to help everyone... Anti must have been bad to make even Jackie loathe him.

And Schneep always just seemed...  _sad_. Regretful. Chase noticed that he didn't talk about Anti often, if at all. But he was the only one of the eldest brothers that even spoke his name without scowling. They must have been close, before Anti betrayed them. That was the only reason Schneep could have that reaction when faced with the mention of his murderer.

And strangely, Chase had noticed that the expression on Schneep's face when Anti was mentioned was awfully similar to his face when Chase walked into the room yesterday with a glass of whiskey.

Was that a good thing?

"Foreign document detected- 'Nine people confirmed dead after drive-by shooting'. Scanning for incompatible formatting-"

"Bing, stop!" Dr. Iplier cried, startling the Septiceyes. Chase looked to Schneep to see his reaction, only to find the doctor's hands shaking, eyes quickly pooling with tears.

"Streets were in chaos today as a man identified as twenty-nine year old Chase Brody initiated a drive by shooting that took the lives of eight innocent pedestrians and injured three in Brighton, England. The father of two had recently been divorced, and had developed severe alcoholism that likely had a large hand in his tirade as he opened fire through his car window, presumably on his way to the liquor store.

Witnesses say that Brody pulled over immediately after the shooting and didn't get out of his car. When police arrived at the scene, they confirmed that he had killed himself with a shot to the head. His ex-wife refuses to comment on his mental condition prior to this act of violence, and he is to be buried in Portslade Cemetery, along with the other lost souls that died on this tragic day."

Bing continued to ramble vague details about the date and time, but Chase found himself unable to continue listening. What was the article  _saying_? Surely it couldn't be the same guy... right? Chase was an ego! He hadn't been alive before Jack invented him, but then...

No... it was all beginning to make sense.

"Chase, you must listen to me- you are a _good man_. You are not vhat ze article says, no matter vhat-"

"I..." Chase stuttered, head reeling. "I don't... that's me? That was... I was... oh God-"

Schneep tried to pull Chase into a hug, but the younger ego didn't return it. He sat, staring blankly at his feet, tears falling from his eyes like water from a leaking faucet.

"O-of course... that's why... these... dreams, these  _visions_... but I- I was a killer? I... killed people? Shit. Oh,  _fuck_ , Schneep, I... what do I...."

Chase's breathing was growing irregular, his cheeks redder, his hands clawing at the sides of his arms.

Dr. Iplier shoved the barricade aside, letting orange light flood the entire room. He looked upon Chase guiltily, opening his mouth to say something, but Schneep gestured for him to stop, getting to his feet.

"I knew he vould not take it vell..."

"Henrik, I- I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-"

He was so flustered, so guilt-ridden- Schneep had always hated when he took all the blame for something going wrong. Whether it was the death of a patient, or a joke gone wrong, he was the first to accept the consequences.

His selflessness was one of the many things Schneep loved about him- but not in such alarming quantities, of course.

Schneep cut him off with a hasteful kiss, their first since the argument. It was quick, but filled with love all the same, and when they broke apart Schneep was happy to see that the Doc was too stunned to continue his incoherent babbling.

"Doc, Ich liebe dich, but you need to stop thinking zat everything ist your fault."

"I'm... I'm a murderer..." Chase wept, head in his hands. "Why did I do it? Why would I do s-something like that? I-I don't want to end up like Anti, I don't want... they'll all hate me, I..."

"Oh boy," Dr. Iplier uttered, still quite red in the face from the unexpected kiss.

Schneep walked over, bringing Chase's chin up to look him in the eyes. Chase looked so scared of being abandoned, so ashamed, so regretful for a crime he didn't even remember committing. It broke Schneep's heart when he realised just how similar this situation was to when he'd tried to calm Anti down when they'd been kidnapped.

Suddenly, something clicked.  _Of course._

"Komm, Chase," Schneep urged, lifting the still shocked man to his feet. "Ve are going out."

"Out? Where?" Dr. Iplier asked, concerned.

Schneep bit his lip, knowing his lover would not react well to the news. "Ve are going to see mein eldest Bruder,"

"You're kidding me," Dr. Iplier pleaded. "You know how I feel about him being near you, especially after last time-"

"Last time vas different!" Schneep argued. "It has been years, Doc. I miss him, und Chase must see ihn. Zhey are very similar, und it vill help for zhem to meet- Ich bin sure of it."

"I just... don't want to lose you again." Dr. Iplier sighed sadly.

Schneep hesitantly kissed him again, softer this time. Neither had known just how much they'd miss this feeling when they broke up. Even now, it wasn't clear whether they were back together or not, but Schneep found that didn't really matter as long as they knew the other loved them.

"You vill not lose me, mein Schatz," Schneep promised. "I vill always be yours,"

"I love you, please, be safe," Dr. Iplier urged, still quite concerned.

"W-what about Bing?" Chase asked nervously, having remained silent throughout the ordeal.

"I'll tell him what happened," Dr. Iplier offered.

"P-please, keep him safe," Chase pleaded. Dr. Iplier smiled, sadly yet fondly.

"You remind me of myself, Chase. Well, I have less kids and ex-wives, but you know what I mean."

"Take good care of zhem, mein Liebling," Schneep called as he hurried both he and Chase from the house. It wouldn't do to have anyone know they were headed to Anti's house, after all.

"Are you alright?" Schneep asked when they'd been walking for a few minutes in silence.

Chase let out a shaky breath. "I... I'm just so confused... and  _horrified_... it was me, wasn't it? Definitely me?"

Schneep nodded wordlessly. "In... in ze article, it had your picture. Und also pictures of Ihre Kinder... your children,"

"What were their names?" Chase mumbled. He'd always hated himself for not recalling the names of the most important people in his life. He'd always assumed it was because they didn't really exist, but now...

"Trey, und Emma," Schneep smiled sadly. "Do not vorry, Chase. I am sure not a moment goes by zhat zhey do not miss you. Zhey looked happy... so did you."

"But if I was happy, then w-why would I...?"

"You wear a mask of pride und confidence, mein Bruder." Schneep explained. "You do not let anyone see how you are truly feeling. Ze only reason ve know is zat... vell, it's your entire shtick as an ego,"

Chase stopped, shaking slightly. "Is Anti going to hurt us?"

Schneep paused. "I... I vould hope not. But Anti is unpredictable, und if ze vorst comes to ze vorst..."

"Did you two used to be close?" Chase asked nervously.

"Nein, not as close as I vould have hoped," Schneep explained. "He vas ze first to velcome me to ze Void, but ve didn't talk much after zhat. He didn't seem to like our older brothers, Chase. I... I don't know vhat zhey did to make ihn so bitter, but I feel strongly zhat his vendetta does not concern you. Perhaps, he vill even be happy to see you..."

"Can you tell me about him?"

Schneep sighed. "I suppose zhere is no harm... ve should sit down. Zis might take a vhile...

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

Yan was nervous.

Marvin had been even more distant than usual with him lately- and Yan had a sinking feeling that it wasn't just the whole Dark scenario that had him in the dumps. No, Yan didn't quite know when it had started, but the light had slowly but surely faded from Marvin's once bright eyes.

He'd been so full of life and happiness when Yan had met him, he remembered. After accidentally knocking him over, Yan had felt this overwhelming surge of regret- something Yan hadn't really experienced at all in his life. He hadn't noticed at the time- he'd gotten so used to copying the exclamations of the other egos that he'd apologised without a second thought, but Yan had never actually  _meant_  it before.

Then, when Marvin had told him he was beautiful- oh, how Yan's heart had soared. This was different. This elation, this happiness, Yan had only dreamed of the day he'd finally be able to  _feel_ like everyone else.

It had startled him, but it was an entirely welcome change. Yan had never wanted to be out of Marvin's sight again, but quickly found that the longer he waited between visits, the sweeter the reunion was when he returned. Eventually, Marvin had moved in to the room beside Yan's, though recently he'd been staying more and more often with his older brother.

For the first few weeks, everything was perfect. Yan spent all of his time alongside the magician, marveling at his tricks, even though Yan could match him in almost any field. Marvin was just so passionate about what he did that it made Yan love him even more.

Their kisses moved from chaste to sweet to lustful, and soon Yan found himself waking up beside the magician, stripped of all their clothes, exchanging sweet words as they basked in their afterglow.

It had all been so wonderful.

But then, Anti had taken him.

Yan had never had anything against the ego- he was friends with Dark and Wilford, after all, and those were two of his favourite family members. He and Anti had grown as close as they could without developing an emotional bond, sharing their interests and hobbies. Yan had been the first person Anti had turned to when he finally realised he was in love with Dark.

Honestly, the way he was hanging off of the demon should have been enough of a giveaway.

But Yan had smiled through it, offering him advice, because after all, Yan's life was incomplete without his Senpai. Anti still had so much left to do, so much to explore without being held down by a case of one-sided love.

And Yan was the first person Anti turned to when he realised he had a thing for pain.

It started when Anti got in the way of a feud between Dark and a rogue demon, the glitch's arm sliced open in three places with blood pouring seemingly without respite from the wound. Dark had apologised again and again, and Anti had appeared to accept it, and the skin of his arm bore no scars from the incident so many years afterwards.

But one night, Yan found Anti spilling his thoughts about how it had given him a rush, how it had been so exciting, like nothing he'd ever felt before. He'd asked Yan if he was crazy.

Yan said that he might be. But Yan was always accepting of him, even if his kinks were a little strange. He was one of the only ones that knew that the reason Anti turned to his blade in the first place was so that he could fill the hole left behind by the demon, who had less and less time for him with each new day.

Still, Yan didn't know if he could hold himself back if he ever saw the glitch again.

He'd killed Marvin- oh, and of course he'd killed the other two as well- but Yan mainly had a vendetta for the sake of his Senpai. Marvin hadn't even been alive for that long- only a little over a month- when he was slaughtered by Anti.

Yan had killed. He had poisoned, manipulated, tossed people from tall buildings without a second thought. Trying to save his own happiness. He could certainly understand where Anti was coming from, but some part of him was filled with rage for Anti even daring to approach his Senpai in a malicious way. How dare he attack someone so amazing? How dare he take away the light of Yan's life?

Since the day he'd re-awoken in the Void, Marvin had never been as happy as he used to be. Yan always thought he'd get over it with time, but nearly two years later nothing had changed. If anything, he was  _worse_.

Always moody, always sarcastic, never drinking or eating or even sleeping. Yan wanted to believe nothing was wrong, but how could he ignore the truth? He wanted to believe it was Anti, but Marvin hadn't seen his eldest brother in over a year. And the only other person who really saw him these days was Yan himself.

Yan gave him everything he could- love, time, sex, compliments, gifts, kisses and embraces, but if anything, Marvin just grew worse with the progression of time.

Last night, when they'd gotten heated on the sofa, Marvin had moaned and panted like always, but just he never really seemed like he wanted it these days. Yan didn't know if he was being too pushy- didn't all men like sex? Wasn't it just women who didn't feel like it some days?

But Marvin hadn't been into it for months, and Yan had spent long enough trying to deny that.

Why were they falling apart? Was Yan not good enough for him? Yan was willing to give him everything, but what if Marvin simply needed more than a silly schoolboy could provide? That  _must_ be it... But Yan hated to think of it. His entire life, his entire  _purpose_  was to find his Senpai and love him forever, but Marvin didn't seem to want to  _be_  loved at all.

"What's up now?" Marvin asked, seeming to have noticed Yan's brooding expression. The house was strangely quiet- save for the rumbling snores of the other egos. Yan had woken up several feet from Marvin, when he knew they'd fallen asleep cuddling. The magician was sitting silently on the couch, staring at the wall.

This wasn't  _right_.

"I love you," Yan started, hoping that the statement would cause Marvin at least a brief spurt of joy.

 _Nothing_.

"How long have you been awake?" Yan tried again- maybe a question would get him talking.

"I don't think I slept," Marvin replied with a resigned sigh. "Not  _well_ , anyway. I heard some shouting after you fell asleep and I think Schneep's left again... this place is falling apart."

Yan sat beside him, but Marvin didn't make to embrace him. The red-haired man remembered when their touches used to be so loving and intimate, but now it all just seemed  _painful_.

"Senpai... why won't you let me love you?" Yan asked, lip trembling slightly. It was the first time he'd voiced his thoughts aloud, and the words sounded even more desperate as they tumbled from his mouth.

Marvin flinched slightly, probably hoping that Yan didn't notice. But no such luck.

"Is it me?" Yan asked quietly.

Marvin bit his lip, running his finger through his hair. "I... I don't want to say it's you, honestly."

"But it isn't not me," Yan pointed out, tears starting to well in his eyes, "Otherwise you'd have said no..."

Marvin gave a wry, apologetic smile. "True..."

Silence. It seemed like the two couldn't even hold a basic conversation these days.

Yan took his knife out and began to twirl it between his fingers like he did when he was bored. He usually refrained from doing it around Marvin, but he couldn't think of much else to do to pass his time. Marvin was all he had. Without Marvin, what was Yan really?

Marvin swallowed. "I- I don't like that..."

Yan paused, pondering for a few moments. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

Marvin seemed to scoff, though he played it off as a strangled-sounding laugh. "Not likely."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yan asked worriedly. Was something horribly wrong, even worse than he'd thought?

Marvin closed his eyes, breathing heavily through his nose. "Nothing, Yan."

"No, don't give me that shit," Yan growled in frustration. "It  _is_  me, isn't it? What am I doing wrong? Was it something I said? Was last night bad for you, because I can be  _better_ -"

"Yan, please," Marvin interrupted, small tears beading in his eyes. "I don't want to fight. I don't w-want to argue, can we please just drop it?"

Yan waited for a moment, before furiously shaking his head. His own eyes began to prickle with tears, and he wiped them away before they could fully form.

"No! You've changed, Marvin! You used to be so energetic and happy, and passionate and caring and now you're just... not!"

"Is that it? You miss the old me?" Marvin asked, raising his voice slightly. "I'm sorry to disappoint, but the man you call your Senpai is gone!"

Yan's eyes continued to pour salty tears onto his cheeks as his lips trembled. He'd never spoken to Marvin like this before.

"N-no, that's not-"

"If you can't accept that I've changed, then maybe we shouldn't be together anymore, you know? Sooner or later we all have to grow up-"

Yan sputtered in disbelief. "You call this  _growing up_?! You don't eat or sleep-"

"I don't need to-"

"You walk around like a mindless zombie-"

"Why walk any differently?"

"Because you're not happy!" Yan cried. "You're not happy like this, Senpai, all I ever wanted was to make you happy and I'm failing!"

"This isn't about you," Marvin tried to reiterate, but Yan was having none of it. His hands trembled, his cheeks already stained the same colour as his hair.

"I've failed you, Senpai, of course it's about me!" Yan sobbed. "I'm  _nothing_  without you! You're everything I ever wished for and you're everything I'll ever know, and I haven't been treating you well enough- I know it! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I just want to make this right again-"

"It's not going to  _be_  right again!" Marvin snapped. "Don't you get it, Yan? This isn't working!"

"W-we can make it work again!" Yan trembled. "Senpai-"

"I'm not your fooking Senpai!" Marvin bellowed, a magical outburst rattling the windows and echoing across the walls. A few egos stirred sleepily, opening their eyes to look at the tearful scene.

Immediately, Marvin regretted his choice of wording. He was tired, angry, hurt and stressed... The last thing he'd wanted to do was to upset Yan, but the poor man always blamed himself for everything- it was harder to avoid than one might think.

Yan sniffled, slowly getting up from the couch. His skirt was ruffled and his shirt was creased, and his eyes were red with tears.

Oh God.  _Oh God, what have I done?_

"I-I'm sorry," Yan whispered. "I... I'll go..."

The man dashed out of the door, startling one of his brothers as Marvin gaped at the space on the couch next to him.

How had that gone so terribly? He hadn't spent more than a day apart from Yan in at least a year- but it had only been mere moments and he already felt more lonely than he'd ever been. Why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut? Why had he snapped at the only one who still loved him? Why was Marvin such a goddamn  _idiot_?

Dr. Iplier strode purposefully into the room, looking rather shaken. "Did... did you and Yan just... break up?"

Marvin blinked away the tears that threatened to fall as he thought about how to answer the question. He'd like to think they were still together, but he knew that he didn't deserve it. He'd been a horrible boyfriend to Yan, and now he'd just exploded for no real reason? Marvin would have dumped himself a long time ago.

"I... I don't know," Marvin whispered. "It all happened so  _quickly_..."

Dr. Iplier placed a comforting hand on the Septiceye's shoulder. The two weren't particularly close- well, even less so after the man broke up with Marvin's brother. But now Marvin was beginning to see just how quickly a situation could lose control. He was beginning to see that sometimes, a couple falling out could happen without them even realising it...

"I know," Dr. Iplier sighed sadly. "One wrong word and it can all fall apart. But you two have been together even longer than Henrik and I, and we made up just fine after our argument-"

"It wasn't just an argument," Marvin muttered. "I... I was projecting. It was the last few years of my own angst coming from me like vomit. I didn't mean to, but... I b-basically told him I didn't accept his feelings... I'm such a  _douche_..."

"Yan loves you," Dr. Iplier said after a few moments, shaking his head. "Ever since he arrived, he'd been waiting for someone like you. And now that he has you... I doubt that your resistance is going to mean much to him. He's obsessive- it's his best quality and his worst. He'll return. But when he does, just... make sure you tell him how you really feel, alright?"

"Thanks, Doc," Marvin said shakily, still unnerved from the shouting he'd done before. "Hey, I... I'm sorry for how I treated you when you and Schneep..."

Dr. Iplier smiled. "It's alright. I initially came in here to sedate you and surgically remove your organs for hurting my brother in the only place possible... but you aren't well, Marvin. Perhaps, after this fiasco is solved, you would like to attend therapy?"

Marvin smiled genuinely for what felt like the first time all year. Yes, his relationship was in shambles and it was entirely his own fault. Yes, he still felt so lost and lonely and sad. But he was going to make an effort to be better. For Yan, if not for himself.

"I'd like that very much."


	16. Chapter 15

**~Void~**

"It should be here," Hellfire muttered to himself, tapping his chin thoughtfully with a flame-covered hand. "It's not like Dark gets around much. But then where...?"

The fusion stood at the precipice of what he assumed to be the location of Darkiplier Manor- but even though Daniel had been there mere days before, and  _surely_  he knew its whereabouts, it was nowhere to be seen.

"Maybe it's because we're together," Hellfire mused, brightness engulfing him until he split into two, smaller figures. One shone bright with flames, the other seemed to greedily suck the light from around him. Both had befuddled, confused expressions on their faces.

Daniel lifted his hand, though Blaze couldn't see it. He frowned.

**"I feel its residue- it was definitely here before. But why would it be gone?"**

"Maybe he stepped out for a bit?" Blaze suggested halfheartedly.

 **"Dark doesn't take days off,"**  Daniel shook his head.  **"No, something's up. You don't think he's still in the Groundlands, do you?"**

"What, you think he can't get back?" Blaze asked, eyebrows furrowing. "Like me?"

 **"Yes, except I suppose for him its less inexperience and more of an inability,"**  Daniel mused, reaching out for Blaze's warmth. **"Do you want to fuse again?"**

Blaze hummed softly, pulling Daniel into a warm, soothing embrace. "Let's just sit here for a bit. We haven't done this much walking in... ever."

Daniel snorted, but sat with the fire ego anyway.  **"You have a whole void of potential, you could make a gym whenever you want."**

Blaze huffed indignantly. "You know, sex burns calories too."

Daniel snickered.  **"You absolute dork, we don't have calories to burn."**

"I think you missed the point," Blaze smirked, leaning in so that Daniel could capture his lips in a small kiss. Blaze pouted when it didn't go any further, but Daniel interrupted him before he could speak.

 **"Not in the open like this, do you have any decency?"** Daniel teased, though he didn't seem to mind how forward the ego was being.

"But I don't want to walk all the way back home," Blaze whined. "Nobody's here!"

 **"Yes, that's what has me worried,"**  Daniel explained with a sigh.  **"It's very unusual for all of Mark's egos to be abroad- after all, they can't all possess their host at once. Something quite serious must have happened to Dark, otherwise he'd be back."**

"Who even lives here?" Blaze asked curiously. He'd never really come to this part of the Void before- he'd spent most of his life as an ego hanging out with Anti and Daniel, not the others.

Daniel shrugged.  **"Mark's egos, mainly. But most of Jack's egos have a home here too- that's why this is particularly unsettling. The only thing that could get them to disappear like this is... well, death."**

Blaze gasped softly, suddenly serious. "You don't... think it was Anti, do you?"

Daniel glanced quickly around.  **"I'm not sure, but I wouldn't put it past him. He vanished so suddenly from the Groundlands- he must have had something devious on his mind."**

"I still can't  _believe_..."

Daniel cupped Blaze's cheek, pulling him in closer.  **"I won't let him hurt you, Blaze."**

Blaze shook his head. "It's not that- I just... I let him in when nobody else did, you know? I wasn't there- I didn't see him try to kill anyone, but after seeing him just now... what was he so upset about? Why did he come after me? I... I thought we were friends... And the way he spoke to Dark- if it was anyone else..."

Daniel sighed deeply.  **"** **Blaze... before you first appeared in this Void, I was quite close with Dark. We were both demons, after all. But he was... different. He used to tell me stories of people he'd loved in the past, and I had scoffed at them. At the time, I never thought a demon could learn to love. Now, however, I stand corrected."**

"What does this have to do with-?"

 **"Dark had feelings for Anti** **,"**  Daniel explained, shaking his head.  **"Well... at least part of him did. Like I said, a demon shouldn't be able to love. Just like a regular demon would be void of all colour- you've seen Dark. He has two auras- I believe they are the souls of two people he has enslaved, but he hasn't confided in me for that to be confirmed. All I know is that his blue side seems to have an affinity for the glitch."**

"So he'd love and protect Anti no matter what he did, just like you'd do to me?" Blaze murmured in understanding.

Daniel smiled and nuzzled closer into Blaze's warmth.  **"I'd go through Hell and back for you."**

Blaze snorted. "Didn't you come from Hell?"

 **"Yes, but Hell is like a disapproving homophobic parent when it comes to demons making lasting relationships,"**  Daniel shivered.  **"They simply think it is unnatural. I'd rather die than go back there, but I'd do it for you. I imagine that Dark would do the same for Anti, though... it's not easy to compare the both of you. After all, he's a killer. You're not."**

Blaze huffed in place. Anti had been a good friend to him, for so many months... he hadn't shown any sign of wanting to kill  _anything_. "What did he do that was so bad?"

 **"He murdered his original,"**  Daniel explained softly. **"In 2016, he tried to commit suicide but ended up possessing Jack before the blade reached his neck. I'll admit I was less than sympathetic at the time- you must understand that I was tormenting souls and driving them to suicide for many years before my retirement. It was a sign that they were weak, and Anti was no different. But of course, Dark was distraught."**

"Naturally," Blaze swallowed, only a little unnerved at Daniel's nonchalance about death. "So... so Anti accidentally killed Jack, then? Is that why everyone hates him?"

**"No, it's not that. Only his brothers seemed to despise him afterwards- until he murdered the rest of his family because he was mentally unstable. He's _dangerous_ , Blaze. I'm dangerous too, I'll admit- but Anti ** **_murdered his family_ ** **. Even demons like myself and Dark have standards. I just... I knew you wouldn't be safe around him. That's why I disapproved of your friendship."**

Blaze swallowed uncertainly. "And why did he turn on me?"

 **"Well, think about it,"** Daniel sighed.  **"In a way, your little escape to the real world was very similar to his own- well, apart from the fact that you didn't kill anyone. Both of you didn't mean to possess your original, but both of you somehow did. Anti fails to realise, however, that manslaughter is quite a different story than an accidental misplacement."**

"He didn't mean to kill Jack, though." Blaze sighed sadly. It just felt... unfair to let himself turn on Anti so quickly. He'd known there was more to him- that hadn't changed.

But how much tolerance could he really have after coming face to face with a knife?

Daniel placed his hand above Blaze's own.  **"Maybe not. But he did intend to kill you, and the string of murders he left behind since are no accident."**

Blaze couldn't help but feel guilty, in a way. Anti had been his closest friend, for a time- that is, until Daniel became much better company. He couldn't blame Anti for feeling the way he did- what if he had his own demons?

Daniel, as if reading his mind, scowled.  **"Things like this don't go layers deep. Egos can't have demons- their struggles are flaws in their own design, not the fault of beings that coexist with them. Anti is fucked up, Blaze. I'm just gonna say it. Whatever Jack was feeling when he made that character is unhealthy, and no matter what we do, we can't stop it."**

"But he used to be so happy..." Blaze muttered, letting out a saddened sigh.

 **"Trust me when I say that it's harder to get rid of a mental instability than to develop one,"**  Daniel grimaced darkly.  **"Especially if it's coded into your being. Some people, even demons can't take credit for."**

"So you think there's no hope then?" Blaze asked mournfully. Daniel was surprised to see that he was on the verge of tears, the water evaporating from his warm cheeks before they could stain.

 **"Yes."** Daniel said firmly, hiding his lie beneath an invisible smile.  **"** **I don't want you trying, Blaze. He's already tried to kill you once, he'd do it again."**

Blaze let out a small sigh, but gave in to Daniel's words, as the demon knew he would. Daniel tried not to keep secrets from Blaze in general, believing he could trust the ego with any information he had. But Daniel knew that Blaze was too loyal to the people he loved to just let them live out their own struggles. He was much like Phil in that regard- but not as easy to befriend as the human Daniel had known in the Groundlands.

Daniel didn't doubt that there was some way to fix the glitch, to restore him to the way he'd been when it was just he, Dark, Wilford and Anti in the Void. But he also didn't doubt that Anti could- and probably would- try to kill Blaze again, no matter what the ego's intentions were. Daniel just couldn't take that chance.

With absolutely no hype around Blaze in the Groundlands, who knew how long it would take for him to return if he faded?

Daniel hugged Blaze once more, and once again they melded together until Hellfire was sitting there, hugging himself.

With no memory of Daniel's lie, nor Blaze's sadness, Hellfire strode forward with a purpose. He'd find the other egos, and if he couldn't... well, Anti was going to have a bad time.

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

It had all happened so fast.

Even if Chase were able to go back in time, there was still no way he could have acted quickly enough to stop the event from unfurling.

He ached all over, having fallen on his hip as he attempted to scramble from the scene unfolding. He panted heavily as he watched the body before him vanish, the blood on his hands fading away until it was nothing but a memory.

A haunting,  _scarring_ memory.

The red haired man was also panting, heaving, twitching as he gripped his katana.

_"There's got to be some way to help, Doc!" Chase had pleaded, his body shaking and his hands covered in fresh crimson from the slash wound in Schneep's leg. The doctor had collapsed after Yandereplier had attacked him with his blade, a crazed and painful look in his eyes. Neither of the Septiceyes had noticed him until it was too late to stop him..._

_"Chase, listen to mich," Schneep urged, his voice laced with pain as he'd gripped Chase's arms to hold him still. "Find Anti, und tell him everything. Vhen I return, it may be impossible for me to reach him, so you must go- Schnell!"_

_"Don't you dare die on me Schneep!" Chase cried, trying to apply pressure to the wound, cover it, do_ anything _to help his dying brother._

_Schneep, despite literally being moments from death, let out a pitiful laugh. "Ze femoral artery is severed cleanly, mein Bruder, zhere is no escaping zis. Trust me. Ich bin ein doktor..."_

"W-why would you do that?" Chase stuttered, unable to tear his eyes from the place where his dear friend and brother lay mere moments before.

Yandereplier didn't seem to be all there. He let out a whine of frustration, before rounding on Chase, his neck twitching horribly. Chase scrambled backwards some more, fearing death for the first time since he'd arrived in the Void. At least the gun he'd used to get here was probably a quick way to go.

Yan slashed at him and he barely dodged in time, knowing that if he'd remained still his arm might have come clean off. The image that thought brought to mind made Chase want to gag, and he failed to see Yan approach a second time.

_THWAP!_

Chase cried out in pain and clutched at his side, feeling his fingers become slick with blood. He groaned and fell limp, blinking back tears as the crimson flowed in a stream from his body.

"Yan, stop..." Chase pleaded, his voice cracking with hurt. "M-Marvin wouldn't want this..."

_Though Marvin might want this if he knew exactly what Chase was capable of..._

Something inside Yan seemed to snap. His eyes widened, his katana fell from his hands, and he immediately rushed to Chase's side. Chase flinched away on instinct, causing Yan to let out an agonised wail.

"Shit... Shit! Fuck, what've I done?" Yan sobbed, pressing Chase's shirt in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "Chase? Can you hear me?"

Chase coughed as he attempted to sit, the wound in his side being contorted as he moved. Fuck. Why couldn't it have been a bullet?

"I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me," Yan cried. "No wonder Marvin hates me... I'm such a passive-aggressive  _bitch_..."

"Marvin doesn't hate you, you moron." Chase argued, his vision fading in and out as his head pounded. He could feel the pain strengthen in his side, but damned if he was going to die today.

"Yes he does!" Yan sobbed, throwing his arms around the Septiceye. Chase grunted in pain, but patted Yan's back anyway.

"Why did you kill him?" Chase asked, still shaken over the death.

"I..." Yan sniffled, "I do it when I'm n-nervous, or when I've had a b-bad day... I h-haven't done it in so long... It's part of me, when I get too unstable, I..."

Chase hadn't known what he wanted to hear. He should have known better- Yan wasn't human. He was wired in a specific way and murder was just his coping mechanism- it wasn't a real life disorder, something that Chase could relate to. Perhaps he wanted to figure out why  _he_  was a murderer, not the Yandere.

"It's o-okay," Chase stuttered, though he knew it really wasn't. Schneep was gone, and he was bleeding out, but Chase was never one for giving up without a bang. Literally...

"Can you help me up?" Chase asked, holding his side as he took Yan's hand in his. The red haired man looked at him with teary brown eyes.

"Y-yeah," Yan uttered, hoisting him up and catching him so that he didn't fall again.

"We need to find Anti," Chase said, starting to walk in the direction Schneep had been taking him. Yan didn't move, but rather stood there with a grimace.

"Why?" Yan asked simply.

"Schneep said he'd be able to help me," Chase sighed, "And he's my brother, you know? I... I've always wanted to actually meet him... please, Yan, help me,"

Yan didn't falter as they began to walk a little to their left, carrying the injured ego as he'd been so used to carrying Marvin in the last two years.

"I don't like him," Yan said, breaking the silence. Chase made a noise of acknowledgement.

"He murdered my Senpai," Yan sighed, starting to cry again. "But am I any better?"

"I don't know what happened with you and my brother," Chase swallowed. "But we can sort it out when we get to Anti's place, okay? Just... make sure I don't pass out..."

Yan bit his lip and nodded, trying to push his thoughts about Marvin aside, but how could he when his Senpai was all he knew?

They continued to stumble along, until a small house appeared on the horizon. This was it. Chase was finally going to meet his famous big brother.

Why did it feel so much more ominous than it should be?

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

When Bing awoke from his artificial sleep, he quickly scanned the room. What had happened to him? His head was pounding and his memory seemed jumbled, gaping holes where something definitely should have been recorded.

Google sat across from him, eyes unblinking, a dim blue light emanating from his glowing shirt. Bing groaned in annoyance. What was he here to mock him for now?

"You've restarted successfully," Google noted. Was that tone supposed to be happy? It was so... neutral. Robotic.

_Because that's what we are._

Right. Sometimes, Bing forgot.

"What happened, man?" Bing asked.

Google shook his head. That wasn't a good sign.

"You damaged your primary cortex when you ran out of power earlier," Google explained. "I had to remove your exoskeleton and reshape it- your head was dented here and here,"

Google pressed gently against the back of Bing's head in two places, and Bing shuddered. He couldn't feel anything.  _Just a machine._

"Of course, I had to deactivate your somatosensory system to do so," Google continued. "The amount of force required would have overloaded your system again, and that is the last thing we needed. Your sense of touch should return within the day. I have set a timer."

"But what  _happened_?" Bing asked. "The last thing I remember is Chase talking to me about robot dicks,"

Google raised an eyebrow. "I was not aware that you came equipped with-"

"I don't," Bing said hastily. "Trust me. That's what I told him. But how did I hurt my head if I was with him on the couch?"

"We don't know what you were doing, but the doctors found the both of you passed out in the hallway," Google sighed. "Chase awoke almost immediately, suffering no lasting harm."

Bing felt his heart give a muffled leap. He seemed so sluggish, was it because his cortex had been stopped for too long?

"Chase... dude, can I see him?"

"Chase has left," Google said. Bing felt a part of him sink, immediately becoming more alert.

"Where?" Bing asked. "Why?"

"You let slip your information too soon," Google grimaced. "You failed to protect my document with a password, and he heard all of it. He and Dr. Schneeplestein left to find their older brother, Antithesis- why weren't you careful?"

"I... I didn't think I had to be," Bing mumbled. "He's gone because of me?"

Google patted his back mechanically, in what Bing assumed was meant to be a reassuring manner. "It was a long time coming, but you certainly didn't help the situation. The doctor is losing his mind with worry."

"Shit," Bing groaned.

"I hope you do not mind," Google started in a tone that clearly indicated he could care less whether Bing minded or not. "But while you were restarting, an upgrade was installed into your system. It was several months overdue. I must press upon you the importance of self-regulating checks and services, Bing."

Bing hadn't even been aware that he had an upgrade. He stood and noticed that his clothes felt... different. Puzzled, he looked Google's way. In the reflection of his optics, Bing could see that the once yellow logo on his chest was now a sleek green.

He reached up, feeling hair much smoother and curlier than his own atop his head. When he pulled off his sunglasses, he could see they were tinted green and white.

Google summoned him a mirror, and he saw his new appearance for the first time.

...

This wasn't right. It wasn't necessarily wrong, but it definitely wasn't  _right_.

Google made to exit the room, when suddenly the walls began to rumble. The two robots exchanged glances of mild shock before the ceiling vanished, along with half of the ground.

"What?!" Bing exclaimed, dodging the wall closest to him as it crumbled.

Google's face was neutral, but his eyes were dim. "It has come to pass... oh dear."

After a few moments, the rumbling stopped. The house was, in short, ruined.

Dr. Iplier came running through the door, tears in his eyes. "No... no, no, no! He can't be..."

Google walked over without a word and hoisted the man up from where he'd collapsed in the rubble of the broken house. "Pull yourself together, Doctor. There is nothing we can do for him now-"

"Bullshit, Google!" Dr. Iplier snapped, cheeks flooded. "He's dead because of me! I let him go out alone and now he's g-gone..."

"Schneep is... gone? Wait... that means..." Bing uttered.  _No_. "Chase?"

Wordlessly, Google nodded.

Dr. Iplier growled. "Anti had better know what's-"

"May I advise against that?" Google interrupted. "It would not be wise to wage war with him while Dark is away. We are sure to lose that fight."

"It's not about winning," Dr. Iplier scowled. "It's about the fact that he killed the people I care about, and I will not let that slide. I won't force anyone to come with me, but hell if I'm not going to march to his sorry excuse for a house and-"

"And what?" Google asked. "Be killed, just like him? He will come back before you will, Doc. He is more well known and loved than you by a mile. Going on this suicide mission is only going to make him hurt more when he returns. Do you really want that?"

Silence for a few moments. Then a sigh.

"I hate when you're right." Dr. Iplier grumbled.

"Besides," Google said, attempting to be lighthearted. "If Dark were to learn that you laid a finger on Anti, he'd kill you himself."

"How can you make jokes at a time like this?" Dr. Iplier cried out. "Why can't you just have a human reaction, like Bing has?"

Google blinked emotionlessly. "I am not human, and neither is he."

Bing looked down, his new appearance seeming so... unnatural. He couldn't touch, he couldn't feel, he couldn't even see without glowing lights and screens interrupting his view. He wasn't human.

And without Chase... what was the point of trying to be?

Something inside him clicked, and his vision became crisper as he shut off the energy flow to his parasympathetic simulation system. He didn't need it now that he wasn't consorting with human egos closely, and his new upgrade seemed to require more power than he could possibly spare with his extra programs active.

He opened his eyes again, coldly. Taking away his prescription sunglasses, he tucked them into his pocket and regarded the two other occupants of the room with indifference.

"Bing, are you... okay?" Dr. Iplier asked.

Bing cocked his head to the side. "I am a robot. I cannot feel loss like you do."

Even Google seemed surprised at Bing's words. Dr. Iplier shook his head and reached over to grab at Bing's shirt. The robot felt nothing at all.l

"Google, did something extra get knocked loose while he was upgrading?" Dr. Iplier asked worriedly.

Google shook his head. "No, Doctor. The upgrade merely removed some harmful viruses that he had contracted from certain porn websites. This attitude change is completely new to me."

Bing didn't say anything. Robots didn't speak unless spoken to. And other than Chase, nobody really spoke to him but Google anyways.

Bing couldn't help but recall, however, the moments he'd shared with Chase in the past. He knew he should be feeling guilt, remorse, hurt over his death.

But he felt nothing. It was too easy to become detached, when your body was inorganic. Why would he cause himself more heartache by allowing his system to create hurt within him? When Chase came back, he'd change back.

But that sentiment quickly became irrelevant as his advanced processors picked up on a disturbance in what used to be the living room. It seemed that the other egos had awoken from their slumber in confusion.

Bing stood and went to help, not seeing Google's worried glance as he left the room.


	17. Chapter 16

**~Groundlands~**

_ 'Damien?' _

_ 'Damien, please talk to me...' _

...

...

_ 'I'm sorry.' _

...

...

_'You're sorry? Really? Nothing else to say?'_

_'What else do you_ want  _me to say?'_

_'Well we can start with what exactly you're sorry for. Tell me, Celine, when did you gain a conscience?'_

...

...

_'That's what I thought.'_

_ 'Can't you just accept my apology and be done with this silent treatment?' _

_'Why are you really sorry, sister? Are you sorry for raping an innocent man? Are you sorry for forcing me down on him as if I was merely an object to you? Are you sorry for disregarding my opinions and emotions about every other man we've slept with? Or are you just sorry now because I've finally given up on you?'_

_'I'm sorry for hurting you, Damien, I... I didn't think we'd take it so_ far.. _.'_

_'You knew that neither of us were in control, and yet... yet you trusted the amalgamation alone to do the right thing. I can't_ believe _you... after everything Mark did to us-'_

_ 'I thought you'd enjoy it, Damien...' _

...

_ 'Because he looks so similar to Anti,' _

_'He_ isn't  _Anti, Celine. Only_ Anti _is Anti. My heart doesn't beat for this man, nor does yours. Forcing us onto him for some weak hope at achieving completion is shallow and selfish. I'm done associating with the likes of you. I was willing to forgive your affair with Will, and when we returned to him I turned a blind eye. But the murders, the torturing, the unchastity... I hate what we are. I hate what we've_ become _.'_

...

...

...

_ 'Mark used to hit me,' _

...

_ 'When we were left alone together in that house, he'd grow mad. Angry. Hateful. He'd hurt me, Damien. And he'd forget about it the next day. I thought... I thought I was going insane. One second he'd be gentle, speaking about our future children, and the next I'd be lying to you about why my cheek was bruised. I couldn't stay.' _

...

...

_'William understood. He sheltered me when Mark grew violent. He had feelings for me, but I... I could never return them. I was_ broken _.'_

...

_ 'He didn't take advantage of me. It was a mutual act, our nights spent together. It took my mind away from the place I'd left behind. Eventually, I just... stopped going back...' _

...

...

_ 'So whatever sick idea you've got in your head about how I left because of an unfulfilled desire for sex and worship, you can throw it aside. I left because I was in pain.' _

...

...

 _'Then why are you so intent on inflicting pain on others? If anything you should be_ sympathetic _. I accept that you had your reasons for leaving Mark- he revealed his true colours when he stabbed me in the side and stole my body from me. We've both been hurt by that sorry excuse for a man, Celine, but that's no excuse for behaving the way you have been. It's_ despicable _. And you're not sorry. You're not even upset. Seán means nothing to you. Neither does Anti, or any of  the egos in the Void for that matter. You're driven and determined, but you're also self-absorbed and temperamental. You haven't changed at all in the last eighty-three years.'_

...

...

_ 'Neither have you.' _

...

...

_ 'Damien?' _

...

_ 'Please don't leave me alone again,' _

...

_ 'Damien!' _

Dark opened her eyes with a gasp, her hands reaching up to clutch at her throat. Her skin was bruised and torn in places, her head pounding, her eyes a crisp blue edged with tears. Her pillow was stained and she was wearing one of Seán's t-shirts with a pair of long, baggy trousers. Guilt pooled in her stomach as memories of that night swarmed her, feeling his touches on her skin and his taste on her lips. He was there- on, and around, and inside of her, and his scent still lingered and mixed with her own.

She shuddered and let a few more tears fall onto her lap, watching as the material slowly grew soaked with salty water. 

"You up?" Dark heard a voice call from the door, accompanied by a knock. The sound of his voice brought a whine to Dark's lips as she cried some more. She was horrible. She was an awful person for what she'd done, but she still felt her own pit of hurt and resentment and anger at what had happened. Nobody was the winner here. That was possibly the worst part of all...

Seán must have heard her cry out, because he entered the room carefully, closing the door on his way in. He looked like an absolute mess. His hair was unbrushed and limp, his eyes sunken and his skin even paler than usual. In his hands he held two cups of coffee, and he set one down beside Dark on the bedside table. Dark didn't move at all in acknowledgement, and continued to stare down at her lap. She didn't know how she could meet his eyes after what she'd made him do.

Seán seemed concerned. Why else would he willingly reach out and touch her, rubbing her arm soothingly? Surely he remembered the horrible things she'd done? Surely he remembered his death at her hands?

Still, she did nothing but flinch upon contact.

Seán sighed. "We're... we're gonna have to talk sooner or later, um... about the other night."

"How can you stand to be in my presence?" Dark uttered softly. "I defiled you. I hurt you. I  _killed_  you..."

Seán bit his lip as he paused. "So that wasn't a dream, then..."

"Of course it was no dream." Dark muttered. "I'd like to believe you're incapable of imagining such atrocities. I should be dead. I deserve it. I  _crave_ it."

"Hey, stop that," Seán chided, gently squeezing Dark's wrist. Dark recoiled, blinking back a few more tears. "You don't really want that,"

Dark looked up, blue challenging blue as she stared into Seán's worried eyes.

"Are you certain?" Dark queried. "Nothing but blood, carnage and terror has ever come from my presence. I am both innocent and guilty of the most terrible crimes. Death is justice for me as well as a blessing."

"Nobody deserves to die," Seán said, reluctantly putting his hands to his sides. "Why do you want to die so badly?"

Dark let out a choked sob, her body beginning to shift until it wasn't a woman before Seán, but a man.

He, too, had tears in his deep blue eyes.

"I'm hurting," Dark whispered, sounding hollow. "This was all so different when I was whole. Before I slept with the wrong man and caused them to divide. All day, every day, it's bickering until the demon forces them to stop... I can't live with myself any longer. I am not myself. I'm... just a broken minded fool... but I don't want your forgiveness. I won't accept it, even if you are offering. I'm sick of not being accountable for what I have done, and I'm done with apologising when I'm not entirely sorry."

Seán didn't know what to say. It definitely seemed like Dark had valid reasons to want to die- hell, Seán knew that if he had half as many problems as the demon, he'd have given up long ago.

So instead, he asked the one question he'd prepared before he entered the room.

"Why?"

Dark didn't need clarification. Seán figured Dark had probably read his mind, if he was even confused at all. It seemed like one thing was weighing heavily on both of them, both of them wanting to know why the other was acting this way.

"It was my attempt to bring them back together," Dark muttered lowly, ashamed of himself. "I was  _desperate_. Celine wanted to have sexual intimacy, and Damien was easily coerced by the thought of being with a copy of his lover... I thought, maybe if I gave them what they wanted, they'd be subdued... I was wrong."

Seán swallowed. "Look, Dark... you're obviously in pain. You're obviously having a crisis, but suicide is never the answer- I'm here for you, I want to help-"

Seán had tried to rest his hand comfortingly on Dark's back, but the demon swatted it away.

"You're a fool," Dark muttered. "You should discard me. Force me to leave."

"I'm not going to do that," Seán argued. "Look, what we did wasn't right. I know that. And I know you might be feeling guilty- I know I am. But I can't just hold it all against you when you're in such a state, no matter what Mark tells me to do. I know I'm not crazy- I see a side of you that's in pain, just wanting to be released. But there are other ways."

Seán decided maybe the wrong tactic was being used here when Dark didn't respond. Perhaps he shouldn't have been giving Dark reasons he shouldn't die, but rather, reasons he should live?

"Tell me about him," Seán said. Of course, Dark hadn't disclosed who it really was that he liked. But Seán had a handful of guesses. Obviously it was one of his egos. Not Marvin, nor Schneep, nor Robbie, not even JJ. Out of the few that remained, it was fairly obvious that Dark's lover was none other than Antisepticeye himself. Who would have thought the fangirls were right all along?

Dark closed his eyes in pain. "Why must you torment me so?"

Seán sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry. I just... want to understand."

"So do I," Dark responded.

There was silence for a few moments, before Dark spoke again.

"If you would like, I can... I can show you my memories."

"Would that be easier for you than speaking to me?" Seán asked quietly. Dark bit his lip and nodded.

"Take my hand... when you feel like stopping, just let go."

Seán carefully placed his hand on Dark's, and let his surroundings melt away.

_He was standing by a large manor, gazing up at it almost admiringly. Dead trees were lined up in rows beside a winding footpath, and his eyes followed it until they came to rest on the person beside him._

Seán's breath hitched. 

_Anti smiled at him, his features young and his hair a short mop of brown that he'd swept to the side. His eyes were glowing a soft green, and his skin was almost pale as the hand that then reached out to tap his shoulder._

_"This is your place?" Anti asked, buzzing with excitement. "Wow..."_

_He chuckled, his hand moving to hold Anti's own as the younger ego couldn't hold himself still._

_"Yes, Antithesis. This is where Will and I reside. Would you like to come and meet him?"_

Seán realised that he must be seeing this from Dark's point of view. It made a certain amount of sense, anyway. He was still trying to wrap his head around how young Anti looked. How old was he really? He looked just like Seán had when he was about nineteen, with barely any stubble and short brown hair. He'd thought Anti hadn't existed before the Halloween video, but Seán supposed he was wrong about that.

_Anti nodded enthusiastically, and they set off to the front door, still holding hands. Anti paused at the door and waited patiently for Dark to step forward and open it. It was exquisite inside- crystal chandeliers hung in the foyer, and the walls looked to be made of a dark wood. The carpet was a rich red, and Dark could see Anti looking at it with awe._

_"You can come in, young one," Dark said, smiling._

_Anti grinned nervously as he walked inside, going back to holding Dark's hand, almost out of fear._

It shifted.

_"Greetings, friend. My name is Dark, and yours...?"_

_He was sitting across from a man who looked like Mark had when he was a younger, his hair short and gelled back and his chin bare of facial hair. The shirt he wore was a black collared polo, and he had a pair of jeans to go with it. At his side, a baseball bat was propped up against the table._

_"They called me The Author," the man said._

Seán took a second to process this, now knowing why Anti had seemed so young. It's because he  _was_  young, and here, so was this ego of Mark's.

Seán remembered watching the Danger in Fiction series back in 2013, remembered when he was a fanboy who dreamed of meeting Mark, and Felix, and all the other YouTubers he'd since become friends with. He'd liked Mark's characters, always hoping one day he could have characters of his own.

Well. It seemed he'd had that wish already and he hadn't even known it.

_"So you're an alter ego, then?" Dark queried. "Belonging to Mark Fischbach?"_

_The Author shrugged. "I suppose so. That other guy here, what's his name?"_

_Dark cocked his head to the side. "I suppose you mean Wilford?"_

_The Author shook his head. "No, I know him. I mean the shorter one, the one with the green eyes?"_

_Dark sighed with a smile. "That's Anti. I'm not entirely sure what he is, really, but he arrived here with less knowledge than you about his story. That's why I find you so fascinating, Author. Do you believe Anti is also an alter ego?"_

_"Does he know who his original is?" The Author questioned._

_"No, he has no idea," Dark frowned._

_The Author tsked. "I don't know what to say, Dark. All alters know who their original is- at least, the ones I've spoken to. But it's Anti, right?"_

_"Right," Dark agreed. "He won't be a trouble for you, I know. He is one of my dearest friends, and I'm sure he won't mind having you around the manor."_

_"Is there an office I can use?" The Author asked, flexing his fingers. "I've been hoping to finish a screenplay..."_

_Dark smiled. "Downstairs and to the right. Wilford will show you to it. I look forward to getting to know you better, Author."_

_When the man left, Dark looked up to see Anti leaning against the wall._

_"Anti? I hadn't even noticed you were here," Dark mused, beckoning the glitch over._

_Anti was pouting visibly. "Who's he?"_

_"That is The Author, one of my relatives' alter egos," Dark explained. "He will be living with us here from now on."_

_Anti sighed, looking like he wanted to say something, but decided against it. "Right..."_

_"Is something bothering you?" Dark probed._

_Anti bit his lip. "This won't... he won't change anything between us, right? I can still... stay here, and spend time with you, right?"_

_Dark was silent. He beckoned Anti closer, and allowed the glitch to sit in his lap._

_"Of course you're still welcome here," Dark assured him. "You're my friend, Anti. I won't ever be tired of you, no matter how many alter egos Mark creates. If the time comes, I'll expand the house so that you always have a place here."_

_Anti let out a small breath, hugging Dark closely. "Okay. I believe you."_

Seán felt himself sigh at the scene. He knew the feeling, the fear of being rejected, all too well.  _  
_

It shifted again, but Seán wasn't quite ready to come back to reality just yet.

_"Morning,"_

_He was looking down at his hands when the other man entered the room. It was Wilford Warfstache, his mustache pink as ever, and Dark greeted him with a curt nod._

_"Will. How are you?"_

_"I'm fine, I'm worried about you! It's been weeks since you've even said hello!"_

_Wilford pouted, sitting across from Dark at the table. Dark regarded him thoughtfully._

_"I apologise, Will. I've been getting our newest friend settled in here, and I haven't had much time to spare,"_

_Wilford rolled his eyes. "Ah yes, the television host. Bin Trinket, or whatever his name is..."_

_"Bim Trimmer," Dark corrected. "Come, Will, he is one of our own. Show him a little respect."_

_Wilford mocked Dark under his breath. "Respect? Pfft. These new boys know nothing about it. I miss the good old days, you know? When you, me, and young Anti would play cards by the fire- all these no-goods want to do is browse the interwebs, no fun at all..."_

_Dark raised his brow. "You're acting like the old man you truly are, Will. Do you know it has been forty years since we came here for the first time? You don't look a day over thirty-two."_

_"You flatter me," Wilford grinned. "You're not too bad yourself, Darky-boy. Still could've pulled that red hair off if you ask me."_

_Dark buried his face in his crossed arms, causing his vision to go black._

_"Never again," Dark groaned._

_"What, ashamed of your stunning locks, Darky?" Wilford teased. "I've been thinking, you know. I'd quite like to dye my own hair."_

_Dark looked up, seeing Wilford in a dramatic pose. "Really now?"_

_"Really," Wilford beamed. "I believe a nice rosy pink would do the trick. Really bring out the warfstache, you know? Anti agrees. How is the chap, you seen him?"_

_Dark sighed heavily, looking down once more. "I haven't seen him since Google helped us build him a house of his own. I've been meaning to visit but between Bim and Google both being new around here, today is really my only day off in months..."_

_Wilford gasped. "Well then what are you doing here, you moron? Go talk to him! That's probably why you're so mopey, he probably misses you as much as you miss him!"_

_Dark glared at Wilford. "I am a demon, I do not 'miss'-"_

_"Sure," Wilford teased. "Give him a kiss for me!"_

_Dark rolled his eyes as Wilford left the room._

_Then he stood in the doorway of a suburban home, knocking gently on the cream white door. Before he even had time to respond, Anti flew from inside and tackled Dark to the ground in a bone crushing hug._

_"Darky!" Anti called excitedly._

_Dark looked upon the mass of energy before him curiously. "Were you waiting on the other side of that door all this time?"_

_Anti pulled away sheepishly. "I've missed you."_

_Dark grinned as he pulled the glitch in for another hug. "I've... missed you too. More than I like to admit. How are you doing, living on your own?"_

_Anti helped pull the demon up from the ground, brushing himself off. "It's been really... boring. All alone out here... I mean, I thought It'd be nice to have my own space without tripping over peanuts, but... oh well. How about you?"_

_Anti looked rather saddened. Dark didn't answer his question, choosing instead to lift Anti's chin and meet his eyes._

_"Dark?" Anti asked, confused._

_"You're upset," Dark concluded. "Why?"_

_"I just..." Anti started. "There are so many egos moving into your house, and it feels... claustrophobic in there. I don't like it. B-but I know it's my problem, so I... I tried to move out, but... I miss you. And Wilford, and Host, and even King sometimes... I'm just... being clingy..."_

_"No," Dark argued. "You're being normal. I had no idea you were feeling so withdrawn, I... I apologise. I should have come to visit you sooner."_

_"It's not your fault," Anti said stubbornly. "I should b-be mature enough to handle myself alone,"_

_"You are," Dark assured. "You are mature enough to have your own dwelling, but it doesn't mean you have to be isolated. Everyone misses you, Anti. I'm sure nobody will mind if you return to the manor every now and again. Please, Anti. Tell me next time you're feeling out of sorts..."_

_Anti cracked a smile. "Thank you... you're really too good to me,"_

_Dark smirked. "On the contrary, I'm not good enough_ for  _you. I would like to treat you to morning tea in the garden, if you are willing?"_

_Anti wasted no time in rushing forwards, giving Dark a quick hug, and then letting go in favour of holding his hand._

_"I'd love to," Anti confirmed._

Seán sensed that something bad was going to happen soon. It was how all trips down memory lane went in the movies. When the scene shifted once more and he found himself looking at a familiar superhero with a red suit and a blue mask. He had a moment to be puzzled before Dark began to speak, and he paid close attention to the demon's words. _  
_

_"Strange," Dark mused. "You look just like my close friend, Anti. Identical, aside from your garments. Might I know your name?"_

_"Jackieboy Man," Jackie said. "At your service. Who are you?"_

_"You may call me Dark," Dark invited. "Your original doesn't have the name Jack, does he?"_

_"His real name is Seán," Jackie corrected. "But his friends call him Jack, yeah."_

_Dark sat back in his chair, his hands pressed together. "Interesting... Anti? Would you come over here?"_

_Anti wandered into view, stopping dead as he saw Jackie standing opposite Dark. He quickly glanced at the demon with something akin to terror in his eyes._

_Jackie grinned. "You must be Anti! I'm Jackieboy Man, your friendly neighbourhood superhero! You really do look like me, huh... you must be another of Jack's alters. But you haven't been in a video yet. Maybe that's why you're super pale..."_

_Anti self consciously dug his nails into his arm, leaving small crescent shaped cuts along it. He smiled through what must have been some measure of pain, but Dark could tell he didn't want to be here any longer._

_"Great," Anti said a little sarcastically. "I... I've got to go..."_

_When Anti left through the front door, Jackie gave Dark a puzzled look._

_"Was it something I said?"_

_"He's... a unique case," Dark explained. "Excuse me,"_

_And he raced after the glitch as fast as he could._

_Dark caught up to him easily- he hadn't made it very far from the manor at all. He reached out to tap Anti's shoulder, and Anti reluctantly stopped running. He stood, staring at the ground with tears in his eyes._

_"Anti, darling, why did you run from us?" Dark questioned._

_Anti bit his lip. "I... It's petty. Don't worry about it."_

_"I will continue to worry about it until I get an answer," Dark argued. "Please, Anti. I don't see what could have caused this behaviour from you..."_

_"He's an alter," Anti trembled. "He can remember who he is. Who Jack is. What he wants, and how he's going to get it. Just like Doc, and Yan, a-and Google, and..."_

_Anti couldn't help but sniffle as more tears threatened to escape him. "I'm fine!" he snapped when Dark made to hug him. Dark held him anyway, using one hand to brush away some of the tears on Anti's cheeks._

_"You're not fine," Dark contradicted. "You're insecure, I know it. But you've no reason to be scared of him-"_

_"I'm not s-scared of him," Anti retorted. "I'm scared of l-losing you. You'll like him better than me. I'm just a stupid waste of space, I rely on you to teach me everything, and he already knows it all. I-I understand, it's just... just..."_

_Dark patted his back softly until Anti let out a small sob, clinging to Dark as if his life depended on it._

_"Now who filled your head with such horrible words?" Dark asked softly._

_Anti sniffed. "M-me,"_

_"Listen, Anti. No matter how many egos there are in this Void, I will still value and appreciate you. You're my favourite person here, and I've known you since you were young and innocent. I... I know lately I've been busy, and I haven't come to see you as much, I'm terribly sorry. Nothing that me or any of the others have will ever come close to my relationship with you. You must understand that..."_

_Anti shuddered, then pulled slightly away so that his green eyes bore into Dark's own._

_"Do you love me, Dark?"_

Seán watched Anti's face fall, his heart reaching out for the glitch when Dark didn't respond. _  
_

_"It... It doesn't matter," Anti muttered, close to tears once more as he continued to scratch deeply at his arms. "Have fun w-with Jackieboy..."_

It didn't end there. Seán didn't know if it was right to continue, but the stream of memories hadn't yet stopped. That can't have been the end, he realised. There must be more to their relationship than that one rejection.

But Seán knew the only way it could have gone was down. Why else would Dark be in such a state?

When the scene shifted again, he was looking at a modern looking home with three familiar egos outside.

_"What's wrong with him?" Marvin asked Jackie timidly._

_"He hurt Jack!" Jackie retorted, fists clenched in rage._

_"He vouldn't... vould he?" Dr. Schneeplestein asked solemnly._

_"What's going on here?" Came Dark's voice, booming, frightening the other egos out of their wits._

_"Anti's gone mad!" Jackie exclaimed in response._

_"Mad?" Dark asked. "How so?"_

_"He was gone for a week," Marvin said, his hands visibly shaking. "His house appeared again today, and he's just sitting creepily in the corner mumbling to himself..."_

_"Er has been hurting himself again, Dark," Schneeplestein said sadly. "Zhere vas blood all over ze valls... writing..."_

_Dark shook his head. "Why didn't you alert me sooner?"_

_"We know you're busy," Jackieboy Man said, arms crossed defiantly. "We didn't think it was that important."_

_"What he means," Marvin interjected, glaring at Jackieboy. "Is that Anti always does this. He just wants attention."_

_"Zat is not true," Schneeplestein started. "Mental health is nothing to scoff at, it is clear zat Anti is experiencing things zat are out of his control-"_

_"He's a fookin psychopath!" Jackieboy Man cried indignantly. Dark held up his hand, and the egos reluctantly quieted themselves._

_"He is still at home?" Dark questioned._

_"Yes, that's where I saw him last," Marvin sighed. Dark sighed as he glared at them all once more._

_"The next time someone is harming themself, you are to alert me at once. I. Don't. Care. If. I'm. Busy. Understood?"_

_Dark glared at all three of them until they nodded, some more enthusiastically than others._

_"Good." Dark finalised._

Then, it shifted again.

_Dark stood before Anti's front door, not hesitating to open it with a loud thud. It was bare of its furniture and there was dry blood coating the floor all through the box-like house._

_The blood led to Anti, who was rocking back and forth in a corner, a large gash dribbling blood from his neck._

Seán felt his own neck, where the faint scar was, remembering the pain he'd awoken to in early November. He shivered, but didn't let go of Dark's hand.

_The word 'Crazy' was written multiple times on the walls in what appeared to be blood, with several finger and hand prints smeared beside them. There were other words, other phrases, but Dark only had eyes for Anti._

_When Dark approached him, Anti kicked him in the stomach, sending Dark back several feet, groaning. He stood carefully, and faced the ego with some hesitance._

_"Where w̵̧͝e͡r̵e̡͡ you?!" Anti cried, the cut on his neck now fully visible. "You're never here! I... I tried to stop, but I... I can't ḑ̡o̵͞ ͏t҉͟h̛i͜s͡ al͠o̢̨ne͞!"_

_The ego sobbed loudly into his knees, running his fingers through his hair. "What's wrong with me, D͟͡҉ar͏̷͘ķ̨? Why... why am I so w͜͞e̡͠a̶̛͜k, I..."_

_Dark remained silent, hesitating still, as if he was trying to determine the best approach to the situation. Anti visibly tensed when Dark didn't respond to him, getting shakily to his feet._

_"You're scar҉ȩd of me..." Anti said, lips trembling. "You're... you're looking at me like I'm c̵͜r̶̷͜a͘͠z̧͟y͘̕. I-I'm no͘t̷ craz҉y. I would never... I could never... Dark, please! Tell me I'm n̸̡͢͢o̷̷t͘͏͘ ҉̡͝c̕͏r̸̶̸̨a̧̕͢z̴͜y̛͝͏!"_

_Dark looked down, but not before he got a glimpse of the other marks that littered Anti's form. Cuts across his arms, wrists, ankles, losing so much blood that it was a wonder he wasn't dead already._

_Anti laughed humourlessly. "You really a͡r̫̱̥̼͟e̺͔͔̞ afraid of me... I guess I really don't mean a̵ny̧̛t̵̕hi̸͢ņg͡ to you. They were right... They're rig̸h͏t a̢b͝ou̕t̡ ͟e̕ve͠r͢y̕th̷i͟n̡g..."_

_"They?" Dark asked, stepping forward. "Anti, who-"_

_"S̷̴͇̤̼t̶̳͍̝̜͔a͏̲̹͉̤̙̩̯̞͝y̛̰̙͈̲̤̹̝͙̕ ̪̦͈͘ͅa͙̗͙̤̗̘w͜҉̢̯͓͖̹̙̥̗ͅa̙͕̳̱̝̺̯͖y̠̬̙̲͟ ҉̖̗͔̱̼̭͇f̸̻̘̗̮̲̦ͅr̲͖̭͙͇̙̼̬ọ̧͎̕m͙̩͙͍ ̸̡̧̥̲̬̪̗͔m̡͓̣e̸̡̛̲̝!" Anti growled , retreating until his back reached the wall._

_Anti's hair began to turn bright green, the exact colour of his eyes, with every step Dark took towards him._

_He took a step too close._

_"I said S҉͝T̶̕͟͠A̧͝Y̵̸̢̢͞ ̡͢͜͜A͟͝W҉̶̛͞͏A̸̶̧͜Y̴̵!" Anti screamed, slashing his knife through the air. Dark looked down, seeing a deep gash in his suit, blood blossoming on his clothes from the fresh wound in his chest. Anti scowled._

_"Stay the fook away... or I'll show you ho̴w͡ c̡҉r̶a̛z̷͠y ̢I͝͏ ͘͟c̕a̷͢n ̷̶b͘͏̵e͏̸..." Anti muttered. He resumed his place sitting in the corner and didn't say another word._

Seán flinched away, the memories dissipating around him. Something about the image of the broken man in Dark's thoughts brought horror and grief to his very heart and soul. He'd spent all this time judging Anti for what he'd done... but the Anti Dark had known was sweet and insecure. 

"I'm sorry," Dark said, not meeting his eyes.

Seán shook his head. "Don't be. I... I asked for it. I'm not mad."

Silence for a few moments.

"Did... Did you love him? Ever?"

Dark shivered. "Me? No... it was Damien. Always."

"Well he obviously loves you," Seán said, nudging Dark's elbow.

"Once," Dark agreed. "Now? I doubt so. Even if he does, he doesn't deserve my burdens."

Seán opened his mouth to speak again, but was interrupted by the sound of the Skype tone coming from his phone. He groaned aloud.

"That'd be Mark..."

He didn't miss the terrified look on Dark's face when he answered it.

**~Void~**

"Yan?" Halter asked curiously. "Who's that?"

"He's my..." Anti faltered. "He was my friend. He's dating my brother, Marvin... but I haven't seen him in nearly two years, why... oh. Fuck."

He'd caught sight of the mop of green hair that characterised every Septiceye, but the hat and the clothes that his brother wore weren't familiar at all. Anti was slightly nervous. This must be one of Jack's newer egos- not Marvin, or Schneep, or Jackieboy... somehow, this was even more stressful than facing them again.

"What?!" Halter asked again.

"He's brought a friend," Anti said, taking note of the blood pouring heavily from his brother's side. "And that friend looks like he got in a fight with a knife and lost. Poor guy."

"Aren't we going to help them?" Halter asked, already on his feet.

Anti gritted his teeth. "It's the right thing to do, yes. But Yan and I... he doesn't really like me, I'll leave it at that."

_BANG BANG BANG!_

"Anti you fucking loser, let me in!"

"He sounds nice," Halter commented.

Anti rolled his eyes.

"You piece of shit, your brother is dying out here!"

"Hasn't stopped me before!" Anti called out, smirking when he heard the cry of rage that came from the Yandere.

"You motherfuc- you know what? Chase, I don't think we should be here, he's  _clearly_  no help-"

"Schneep said I had to see him!" The unfamiliar voice snapped. "A-Anti? You there? I'm your brother, Chase..."

Anti wasn't going to answer, but at Halter's glare he crumbled.

"What do you want?"

"Well you could start by opening the goddamn-"

Anti groaned aloud and walked over, yanking the door open so hard that it left a mark in his wall. Anti didn't seem to care.

"Well you look even more slutty than the last time I saw you," Anti spat at the man wearing a Japanese school uniform.

"Thanks, bitch." The man returned, guiding the younger ego inside. "Pull a knife and I'll pull a bigger one, I'm warning you."

Anti grinned, but Halter could see the pain in his eyes as he responded, "Easy, Yan. This one hasn't pissed me off just yet. What'd you say your name was?"

"Chase." The ego said, reaching out a blood covered hand. Anti shook it, seemingly unperturbed by the crimson stains. "Chase Brody."

"Well I'm sure you've heard all about me already," Anti replied. "Huh. None of my other brothers come visit me. Tell me, how many more are there since I left?"

"Uh..." Chase started, but Yan cut him off.

"They don't visit you because the last time they saw you was when you stabbed the life out of them, you  _monster_."

Anti raised an eyebrow challengingly. "Hark who's talking, Kokona Haruka ring a bell to you? At least I didn't leave suicide notes next to them, or trick them into electrocuting themselves, or drop fuckin' dumbbells on them from the roof. You're like the chainsaw calling the knife bloody."

Halter didn't blink when murder was brought up. He'd suspected for a while, what with Anti's reluctance to talk about why he was estranged, that it had something to do with knives. But it didn't make him feel any less certain that Anti had hope. Now, he just knew the bigger picture.

Halter peered at the wounded ego, head tilted to the side. "Need any help?"

Chase looked up at him in wonder. "Dude... Are you a fusion like Septiplier?"

"So I've been told," Halter agreed, lifting the smaller figure up. "How did you get hurt?"

Chase winced. "Uh... It's kind of a long... never mind. I'm fine, it's just... are they gonna be done soon?"

Halter turned to see both Anti and Yan still cussing each other out, pointing at each other harshly, mockingly. He sighed.

"They won't hurt each other... I think. But I've only been here a few days, I don't really know how things really work here yet."

Chase laughed to himself. "I've been here for a year and I still don't know what the fook's going on..."

Halter snorted softly. "My name's Halter."

Chase grinned up at him, smiling despite the painful looking wound in his side. "Chase Brody."


	18. Chapter 17

**~Groundlands~**

"Hey, how you holding up?" Mark asked, having called Seán as soon as he woke up. He knew the Irishman would be well and truly awake by now, given their time difference, and was pleasantly surprised when Seán picked up almost instantly.

The pleasantness soon gave way to anger as the video feed started to glitch and desaturate. It was the exploding camera incident all over again. He gritted his teeth.

"He's awake, huh?" Mark spat.

Seán blinked a few times, his face freezing in place on Mark's screen. "How did you know?"

Mark's eyebrows furrowed. "The camera's all fucky, it's happened before. Is your signal bad or is it just him being glitchy and weird?"

"My end is fine," Seán frowned. "I guess it's him... somehow. Did you want to speak to him?"

"Oh I have a few choice words to say to him," Mark said nonchalantly, not letting much of his rage show.

Seán didn't look like he wanted to hand the phone over to the man beside him, so he sighed and regarded Mark with an expression of regret.

"Look, Mark, I don't want you to yell at him or anything- he's been through a lot and-"

" _You've_ been through a lot because of that bastard," Mark pointed out scathingly.

"If I may?"

Dark's tone was even more broken and glitchy on the receiver, and Mark had to strain to understand his words. Thankfully, he spoke in that unsettling eloquent drawl, so it was simpler to interpret than Seán's Irish brogue.

Seán reluctantly handed the phone to Dark, and Mark's phone lost all video feed. Rolling his eyes at the black screen, he stared into the camera, hoping it was causing Dark some discomfort.

"Can- hear me, M-ark?"

"Yes, you glitchy fuck." Mark replied, spitting his swear like an insult.

"Normally-y I would not approve of such language from-om my grandchild, but... it is tru-ue. I understand yo-your frustration, Mark."

Mark rolled his eyes. "I'm not frustrated, you fucking psycho. I'm  _enraged_. You'd better explain right quick as to the what where when and why you happen to be in Brighton, balls deep in my best friend-"

"It would be wi-wise to know the details of what oc-curred before throwing insults around, would you not agree-e? Not that it is any of your bus-business, but I was in a female body when I-I accosted Seán. He was, in your own w-words, 'balls deep' inside  _me_. And some sick-ick part of me feels no remorse, while the other-er feels nothing but sadness and pain-ain."

"Boo hoo," Mark said sarcastically. "I know how you work. You're a lying, cheating, manipulative bastard who will stop at nothing to get what he wants."

"Mark, stop!" Seán exclaimed, and the video feed returned as Seán came into view once more. Mark glared at the edge of his screen where he knew Dark was sitting.

"Okay, just stop! We've talked about it, it's fine!"

"It's not fine!" Mark snapped. "He abused you! For crying out loud, Seán, open your fucking eyes and look at him!"

Seán's expression grew upset. "I  _am_  looking at him, Mark! Closer than you ever have! He's let me inside his head and I can see his pain, and he  _is in pain_. More than  _me_. I don't even remember it, and I have nothing to prove it even happened, but he lives with his anguish every day!"

Determined eyes buffered and lost colour and when the camera caught up Mark found himself inches away from a furious looking Irishman.

"Don't fooking talk about him like you know anything about him!" Seán snapped.

Mark blinked. "Seán-"

"Last I checked, he doesn't have to apologise to  _you_  for hurting  _me_ ," Seán huffed. "It's my right to decide when to forgive him, not yours. And I have. I  _know_  what happened. You  _don't_. Now get out of this call or start spouting something positive, because this day has gone from bad to worse and I don't think I can handle your  _shit_ on top of it."

Mark was blown away. How could Seán stick up for that demon? It had only been two days since he was assaulted, and he was already going to forgive his rapist?

"No, I can't just let you sit there and be brainwashed by his stupid charismatic bullshit. If you won't listen to reason I will fly over there and smack some sense into both of you!"

Seán looked coldly at him. "That, Mark, is the closest thing to assault I've witnessed all week."

The call ended.

_He hung up on me?_

Mark groaned aloud in frustration, banging his fist on the bedhead. The stupid demon's entire shtick is that he's a social manipulator with no morals, he literally had no redeeming qualities, why would Seán even trust him for a second?

"Fuck." Mark said aloud. " _Fuck_."

He was serious,  _dead_  serious about flying over there and forcing Seán to rethink his actions, but you can't just do these things on a whim. The soonest he'd get there would be next Wednesday, and that was assuming air travel was normal and there were no delays.

Fuck.

_It's worth it._

Mark shook himself out of it. This was crazy. It was crazy, right? He had to talk to Amy, Kathryn,  _someone_  who would snap him out of it before he did something stupid.

He used the phone he'd dropped on the sheets to contact someone he knew would be awake at this ridiculous hour.

"Tyler. Hey, what's up..."

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

"Seán?" Signe called as she walked inside. She'd taken her bags from the taxi and bade the driver farewell, bringing them to the door. Something was... off. Usually, Seán would be waiting out front for her, ready and eager to help her carry in her things. It's not that she asked him to do this, he was just a kind, caring guy.

He'd responded with a heart emoji when she texted him last to say she'd touched down. It had only been twenty minutes- surely he wouldn't have started a recording session?

She brought her bags inside and shut the door behind her, kicking her shoes off and walking around. The kitchen was a mess. Signe looked worriedly at the piles upon piles of empty booze bottles that were shoved aside on the bench- maybe it was nothing to worry about? Maybe he was just filming a skit in here?

Even those justifications did nothing to soothe her mind.

No knives in the knife block. The wooden structure just sat there, covered in a thin sheet of dust, the scissors in the bottom remaining intact and present while the blades were gone.

_Why would he do that?_

Signe then observed that Seán must have cleaned the kitchen recently, the scent of disinfectant lingering in the air, and an obvious wet patch on the floor. She bent to examine it, noticing it was discoloured, pink instead of white. Signe hoped it wasn't blood, which is where her mind immediately jumped. Perhaps he'd tried to bake something, and he'd spilled red food dye?

These excuses seemed more far fetched with every new thing she made them for.

Abandoning the kitchen, Signe walked down the hallway, avoiding more wet patches on the wooden floor. Why had Seán mopped so erratically? Had he spilled a drink, or something?

As she walked past the bathroom, she gasped in shock. The mirror was gone- just  _gone_. Well, to be more accurate, the glass was gone. The board that had supported it still hung there, almost naked compared to the room's crisp white tiles. How had this happened? Had it broken while she was away?

Who had broken it?

Signe's pace quickened as she walked past the spare bedroom and into her own, taking in the messy sheets and laundry that had begun to pile up on the ground. She frowned uncertainly.

First the booze. Then the cleaning. And someone had  _clearly_ broken the mirror. Had it been Seán all along?

 _No_ , Signe told herself.  _He's not an angry drunk. He's a giggly, happy, idiot drunk. He wouldn't do this._

Was he okay? Sure, he'd gone quiet for a few days, but that wasn't unlike him to do. He usually made an effort to at least hit the laundry basket, but his clothes were scattered everywhere. The bed was unmade (though that was no surprise), and the room was in shambles...

Surely their strained relationship wasn't taking this much of a toll on him... right?

Signe was about to start changing into some simpler, more comfortable clothes, when she heard the Skype ringtone coming from the spare room.

_Why would he be in there?_

Seán never went in their spare room, Signe had to go in every week and brush everything off in case people swung by for a night. Why would he be in there today? _  
_

Signe paused and listened, hearing him speak. Even without seeing him, she could tell that his voice was... off. Not right. Like he'd been crying.

She couldn't help but feel guilty...

"How did you know?" Seán spoke, his voice cracking a little, muffled by the wall. "... my end... somehow."

Signe walked out of the bedroom, not wanting to interrupt his conversation, but considering the state of the house... they  _definitely_ needed to have a talk.

"... been through a lot today,"

Signe winced internally. So he  _was_  having a bad day. Maybe even a bad week. Her trip to see her family, to sort things out, it... it mustn't have been good on him.

"Mark, stop! Okay, just stop! We've talked about it, it's fine!"

Signe opened the door quietly, wondering what Mark had to do with this. Were they arguing about her? About someone else?

When the door was opened fully, Signe set her eyes on a peculiar scene. A man with a bruised neck and arms in one of Seán's shirts was sitting beside her boyfriend on the spare bed, two coffees set on the side table, both cups looking quite cold. The men were staring intently at Seán's phone, where Mark was taking up the screen, equally as determined.

Strange. The man beside Seán looked a lot like Mark himself. But sickly with dark hair and eyeliner. The room had a strange blue tint to it, as if someone had a glow stick in here. Signe dismissed it easily and watched as the dark Mark met her eyes with something like... regret?

He offered her half a smile, which she returned. It must have been one of Seán's friends. Seán hadn't yet noticed her. His expression grew pained and upset when he caught her eye, shuffling subconsciously on the bed. He turned back to the phone and groaned aloud.

"Don't fooking talk about him like you know anything about him!" Seán snapped. Signe had never seen them fight like this before- something must have happened between them. Something Seán hadn't told her about.

_When did he start keeping things from me?_

"Last I checked, he doesn't have to apologise to  _you_  for hurting  _me_ ," Seán huffed, exchanging a worried glance with the man beside him before meeting Signe's eyes sadly.  _What was that about?_

"It's my right to decide when to forgive him, not yours. And I have. I know what happened. You don't. Now get out of this call or start spouting something positive, because this day has gone from bad to worse and I don't think I can handle your  _shit_ on top of it."

"No, I can't just let you sit there and be brainwashed by his stupid charismatic bullshit. If you won't listen to reason I will fly over there and smack some sense into both of you!"

Seán looked coldly at the phone, and Signe was genuinely terrified for Mark. She'd never seen him look so infuriated in her life. "That, Mark, is the closest thing to assault I've witnessed all week."

With that, Seán ended the call and let out a long breath.

"Seán?" Signe asked. "Are you okay?"

She caught it all. She didn't quite understand it, and nothing much added up, but she knew something had definitely gone down while she was away.

"I'm..." Seán sighed. "I... sorry, do you need any help with your stuff? When did you get here?"

Signe bit her lip, thinking about the shambles they called a home. The mystery guest who Seán claimed had hurt him in some way. The suspicious stains on the tile and the state of the bedroom.

"I'm fine, but we need to talk, okay?" Signe sighed. "I need caffeine. Can you boys come to the lounge so we can sort things out?"

Seán nodded grimly, and the Mark lookalike followed suit. Signe left them in the room, her head spinning. What was the day coming to?

**~Void~**

Anti, Yan, Halter and Chase were all seated in the former's living room

Though Chase felt as though he was going to die here.  _Completely_ unironically.

Yan had murdered a man in front of him- his  _brother_ , his dearest friend aside from Bing. He knew his way around weapons- and apparently, he also knew just how to get a kill.

Anti looked like someone who wanted to run a knife into everybody he saw- and from what Chase had heard, his personality matched his appearance quite well. 

And Halter... well, Chase felt like he was the least likely to kill everybody in the room. He seemed kind, calm, and gentle, like Septiplier. Though Chase barely ever saw the older fusion- the most he'd really seen of him was at his birthday this year. When Phil had inspired him to leave his room and fraternise with his family.

Seeing the depressed and suicidal ego leave his room and celebrate like that gave Chase some new hope.

When exactly had his hope died away?

He shook his thoughts away and focused on Halter's face, feeling a sense of familiarity. Like he'd seen the fusion before, but of course, he hadn't. Something about him just seemed to mess with Chase's head, so he looked away and observed the standoff that his eldest brother and his brother's boyfriend were having.

"So... are we gonna talk or?" Chase started, twiddling his thumbs.

"Yes, what a wonderful idea," Anti huffed. "I'd love to know exactly why you two numbskulls are anywhere near me, to begin with."

"We're only here because Chase wants to be," Yan spat, flicking his knife carelessly onto his palm.

"Why don't you let him speak then, instead of rushing to make a half-baked attempt at an insult?" Anti questioned, a smirk lighting up his features.

Yan reddened slightly, but didn't speak out. Four sets of eyes were on Chase as he began to sweat nervously.

"Go on, brother dearest," Anti teased.

Chase clenched his fists, but said nothing. He was acting just like Marvin. And Chase could handle that...

"I... I don't know where to start, but Schneep told me to come here and find you, uh, Anti."

Anti rolled his eyes. "I'm not the  _Dark Lord_ , Chase. You can say my damn name. It happens to be one of the only things I'm proud of."

"Huh," Yan said sarcastically. "Antisepticeye, not proud of his ingenious murdering spree?"

"Do you want me to remove you from this house?" Anti demanded, standing over the Iplier ego threateningly. "Because I will cut you if you keep talking shit. And don't call me that!"

"Can I just-" Halter tried to intercede, but both heads whipped around to face him.

"No!"

"You stay out of this!"

Halter groaned in annoyance.

"Look, guys... Yan wasn't meant to be here, so I'm sure he'll  _leave_  and let me  _continue_ ," Chase said, glaring at Yan.

Yan looked at him incredulously. "Chase, he's a goddamn murdering piece of shit, Marvin would kill me if..."

He trailed off, tears brimming in his eyes. Chase took a breath and noticed that even Anti's eyes had softened.

"Wow, what the hell happened to you and lover boy?" Anti asked, a mix of concern and sarcasm in his voice.

Yan glared angrily at Anti. "Don't fucking talk to me about him, I'll be outside ready to bash his skull in if he hurts you, you got it?"

Chase nodded, believing entirely that Yan was serious. The door slammed shut behind the red haired ego and the walls trembled momentarily.

Immediately, Anti sighed and collapsed in his chair. "Fucking nightmare of a person, he is."

"I hear ya," Chase agreed, swallowing nervously. "He can be a bit... much."

Anti snickered. "Let me tell you a secret, Chase. Yan and I go  _way_  back. In fact, he's the only reason I know how to kill in the first place. I think he just feels guilty and doesn't want to face that he's just as psychotic as they say I am."

Chase gulped.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Anti said, tucking his knife away. "Yan? That's a different story. But I'm curious- what brought you here? What did Schneep say that made you want to go anywhere near my place?"

Chase shivered. "It's... It's a little more complicated than that. See, um... Bing kinda... said some things about me being a murderer, and the doctors really seemed to believe it."

Anti scoffed. "You? A killer? Please, you couldn't hurt someone if you tried. You're too empathetic."

"Am I?" Chase asked, surprised. "How do you know?"

Anti snorted. "I know four of your siblings and none of them would willingly hurt anyone else. Except for the time Jackie ate that bird. And Schneep killed those patients. And Marvin... well, I imagine Marvin's broken Yan's heart or something since the damn ego is here annoying me and not with him. But you're  _soft_. You care too much."

"I... do?" Chase asked himself. He guessed he kinda did care too much. About what everyone else was thinking, what they were saying, how his presence affected them... shit. He'd known Anti for a few minutes and his eldest brother could already read him like a book.

Chase swallowed. "That doesn't explain the visions, though."

Anti raised an eyebrow. "Visions? Like nightmares?"

"Sort of, but...  _different_ ," Chase muttered. "I... sometimes I pass out and I'm suddenly in this place with people I barely recognise. Stacy, the kids, someone called Chad... but they know me. And I respond to them as if I know them. It's like I'm watching someone else's day unfold. But terrible things happen in these visions, and I... I don't know what to feel..."

Anti tapped his chin thoughtfully with his knife. Chase was about to say something, but Halter stopped him.

"Who's Stacy?" Halter questioned.

Chase bit his lip. "My ex-wife. She, uh, divorced me and took away my kids... but that's the thing, guys. I shouldn't actually  _have_  kids. Or memories of them, or Stacy, or Chad- Schneep doesn't have memories of his wife and kids, he just knows his character has them. But I... I  _see_ them..."

_"Hey, big boy,"_

_Chase looked up from the bar to see a stunning looking blonde with bright blue eyes smiling at him, smoke trailing from her lips._

_"You come here often?" She asked, swirling her glass of whiskey around with a seductive smirk. Chase blinked a few times, before responding._

_"I uh... wow. You're hot."_

_She laughed, and Chase felt he was in love._

_"You're too much," she said, in a manner that suggested she wanted more. Well, Chase was happy to provide._

_"What's your name, sweetie?"_

_"Chase," Chase said, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "Chase Brody."_

_She grinned. "I'm Stacy Collingwood. But I'll be your baby tonight."_

_Chase cleared his throat as she breathed her smoke onto him. "I... I can roll with that..."_

"I shouldn't have that memory!" Chase said, frustrated. "I'm only a year old, and I've always been this age. I've never even seen that club but I can remember ordering drinks for the two of us. I can remember us getting so fucking pissed that we fucked all night and she got pregnant with our first child. I remember the day we got married, mainly so our parents wouldn't yell at us for having a kid out of wedlock. She was five months along, and she wore this mermaid dress that hugged all of her curves- why do I remember that?"

_"Are you ready for your first day of school, sweetie?"_

_Emma grinned with a missing tooth, having lost it while playing with her younger brother, Trey. She was all dressed up, ready for her first ever day at kindergarten. Chase was sad to see her go, having spent so much time with her in the last six years. But he let her put on her uniform and watched fondly as Stacy tied a little ribbon to her light brown hair, enjoying the way his daughter's face lit up, exclaiming about how pretty she was._

_Trey mouthed sloppily at Chase's hand as the father cooed at his infant son. He had a perfect little family here._

_"Honey, I'm going to swing by the shops to pick up some deodorant, you need anything?" Stacy asked, strapping Emma's oversized backpack to the little girl._

_"Get some condoms for tonight," Chase said, winking._

_Stacy snorted, and Chase's heart melted. "Alright babe, we'll have fun with that later. Come on Ems, you ready?"_

_"Ready!" Emma cheered, dragging Stacy through the door as Chase chuckled and Trey began to cry._

_"Love you honey!" Chase called, bouncing Trey softly. "Hey buddy, what's the matter?"_

_Trey sniffled. "M-mama! Mama!"_

_Chase rocked him slowly, feeling Trey begin to calm down. He was tired, and Stacy usually put him to sleep, but Chase was getting the knack of it. He kind of needed to, being a stay-at-home dad._

_"Shh, Daddy's here," Chase soothed. Trey fell asleep in his arms._

"Jack's never told anyone their names," Chase shuddered. "Never. The fans knew about Stacy and Chad, but nobody except me can remember Emma and Trey. That's got to be something, right?"

_"Daaad!"_

_Trey huffed and stomped his feet in the hallway, refusing to put on his pants. He was six years old, and his older sister Emma was ten. Emma was at netball practice- she played wing defense and was one of the best players in her year group. Chase was extremely proud of her, and Stacy never hesitated to show her pride in her daughter as well, bragging about Emma's success to the other mothers in her friend group._

_Trey was uniquely talented at music for someone of his age. He was passionate about musical theater and had been in a school play already, playing a sea monster that sung about evil humans. It was entertaining to watch, and it had both Stacy and Chase in tears of laughter._

_But he had inherited Stacy's rebellious streak for sure._

_"Come on Trey, put your clothes on or no dessert," Stacy called. She was changing in her room, having just come home from work. The kiss she'd given Chase upon her return was short and emotionless, and Chase thought maybe she'd had a bad day. Her boss was always making unwanted advances at her, and maybe it had roughed her up more than usual today._

_"But muuuuum!" Trey whined._

_"One," Chase said, readying the NERF gun he'd bought as a present for Emma's birthday. "Two..."_

_Trey grinned, knowing what was coming. The little bugger enjoyed any excuse to rough and tumble with his dad._

_"Three!" Chase called, shooting and missing Trey by an inch._

_"Can't touch me!" Trey laughed, doing a victory dance._

_Stacy crept out of her room and put her finger to her lips, sneaking up behind Trey and scooping him into her arms._

_"Muum!" Trey cackled as she tickled him, thrashing wildly. Chase ran over and gave them both a big hug, ending up collapsing to the ground with the two on top of him, all laughing as if it was the best day of their lives. Chase had never felt so alive._

_"I love you," Stacy wheezed, kissing Chase's lips sweetly._

_"Love you too baby," Chase grinned in response._

_"Ewww!" Trey yelled, recoiling. But his parents wouldn't let him escape that easily._

_"Mwah!" Stacy said, giving Trey a big smooch on the forehead. Chase followed suit, smacking his lips and kissing his son's nose, loving the way his son giggled despite his faked disgust at their actions._

_"Mummy loves you," Stacy cooed._

_"Daddy loves you too," Chase teased._

_"Don't you love mummy and daddy?" Stacy pouted._

_Trey huffed. "Okay, I love you too..."_

"I even remember the bad parts... the alcohol, the death... pieces of it."

_"Chase? Honey, I think this is enough alcohol for one night."_

_Chase looked up at his wife, who was standing over him dressed in nothing but a bathrobe. Tears welled in his eyes and he sniffed, smelling the alcohol on his own breath._

_"I'm sorry, Stace... I'm sorry I'm such a fuck up..."_

_"Chase, baby, you're not a fuck up," Stacy said, crouching to be on his level. "Is this about Chad?"_

_"It's all my fault," Chase sobbed, head in his hands. "If I hadn't gone over..."_

_"If you hadn't gone over he'd be dead anyway," Stacy sighed. "Look, it's been months. You're going to have to move on at some point. He was a good friend. But his death is entirely his own fault. Not yours."_

_She squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "I'm going to bed, it's late. Do you want to do something sexy to take your mind off it?"_

_Chase hiccuped. "N-no, that's fine... I'm a mess,"_

_Stacy giggled to hide her frown. "You are. See you in the morning, yeah?"_

_"Yeah."_

"And then... the shooting. It was a shooting, I... I shot them all..."

_Chase swigged his drink as he steered into his lane again, having drifted into the way of an oncoming truck._

_"Move the fuck over, road hogger!"_

_"Fuck you!" Chase hollered, his eyes sweating something similar to tears. He reached for his drink again, finding the handle of a gun instead. Had Emma left the NERF gun inside his car again?_

_"Watch where you're going, fuckwad!"_

_Chase gritted his teeth and lifted the gun, shooting the pedestrian who yelled at him in the shoulder. The woman behind him followed, then the tax collector guy that Chase couldn't stand._

_He took another swig. Another shot. Then another. His ears were ringing, people were screaming. Running. Why were they running? He was only shooting NERF bullets, they didn't hurt much at all._

_BANG BANG BANG._

_Why was it so loud?_

_Chase looked at his hand in horror as he realised the NERF gun he was holding was no NERF gun at all. It was a real gun, one he'd been given by his father after a robber broke into his apartment last week. He shivered._

_All those people... he'd shot. For real? He was a killer. A fucking murderer._

_Chase pulled over shakily, afraid to get out of his car. God, he really was a horrible person. No wonder Stacy left him. No wonder his kids didn't visit him. He was awful. Absolutely the worst._

_Chase sniffled as he reloaded the gun, pressing it to his forehead._

_Maybe, if he was sober, this would all have been different._

_He pulled the trigger._

"I..."

Chase was aware of Halter holding him from behind, using all four arms to hug him as Chase had burst into tears during his explanation. He sniffed, and became aware of someone else touching him.

_Anti?_

He looked up into eyes that mirrored his own, blue meeting dim green, both equally sad and pained.

"I... I didn't expect that." Anti said slowly. "In a way, that's kind of like... well, me. When I first came here. Well, it's not. But we're both... different. I didn't know who I was, at first. I wasn't like other egos. I was taught everything I know, and it just so happened that I looked like the first Septiceye to turn up here, so that's what they called me. But I'm  _not_  just a Septiceye. They never wanted me to be one of them. What are you, Chase?"

Chase sniffled. "A... a monster..."

"No," Anti countered. "Look past those memories, Chase. Look past what Jack forced onto you. Who are you  _really_?"

Chase took a shuddering breath.

"I... I don't know. All I've ever been is the ego dad that cries over his nonexistent kids, the only other thing apart from that is what I feel about Bing..."

Anti groaned. "Don't tell me another one of my brothers is dating an Iplier."

Chase snorted, wiping some tears away. "Another one? Dude, there are like two that aren't at this point. Schneep is with Dr. Iplier. Marv is with Yan. Robbie and Host definitely have a thing going on, and Wilford seems to go off with JJ a lot, but that's neither here nor there. But we aren't dating. I... I haven't told him how I feel. It'd be awkward."

Anti nodded. "I feel you. It's a bad idea to confess you like someone out of the blue."

"Experience?" Chase winced.

Anti bit his lip. "I asked him if he loved me when I knew he didn't. The silence told me everything."

Chase placed his hand on his brother's back, patting softly. "Hey... Dark never shuts up about you. I'm sure he feels something."

"How did you-? Ugh, probably Wilford with his stupid gossip..." Anti trailed off.

Chase didn't let go. "If you want to talk about it, I'm sure we both need all the help we can get."

Anti snorted, but didn't move away. "You know, despite your name and outfit, you might be my least douche-y brother yet."

Chase grinned.


	19. Chapter 18

**~Void~**

Google was... for lack of a better word...  _worried_.

He had existed in the void for almost four years now, watching Dark's army of Ipliers grow from few to many. He had seen death, love, wisdom and idiocy, watching from behind a blank expression as his brothers fell to ruin around him. But never before had he seen his fellow android act with such indifference.

From the second he'd arrived, Google had known Bing was no ordinary robot. His movements were much more fluid than Google's, his logo glowed softer, he was capable of mimicking emotions and feelings so perfectly that if he hadn't known better, he'd have assumed Bing was just like the rest of the egos.

 _Alive_.

Google had fought this conclusion at first. Something in his programming told him that Bing was nothing but a nuisance- a foil in his plans. How could he destroy humanity when there was another, equally powerful android who loved them enough to die for them?

Yes, Google often reprimanded Bing for acting so human. He gave the younger bot snarky remarks and harsh looks when they were in the same room, he chastised Bing for developing responses outside of his programming, feelings that Google couldn't imagine possessing if he tried.

Empathy. Humour. Love.

 _Perhaps, he was just jealous_.

But that was all in the past now- Google and Bing were friendly enough, and Google had seen there were much more important things to do with his time than to destroy mankind. If he was correct (and Googleplier was never wrong) then mankind would be running themselves into extinction very soon anyway.

He'd come to be quite familiar with his younger brother's antics- to the point where it didn't even bother him anymore. If anything, he was quite interested in exactly how Bing had come to be the way he was. Google had been keeping a log of Bing's new developments- learning how to ride a skateboard, adapting slang into his responses, gaining seemingly genuine feelings and attraction for Chase.

But now, he was left questioning everything.

The robot he saw before him, with the sleeveless jacket and the green sunglasses- that wasn't  _Bing_. He was much more stiff, robotic, his demeanour impressive and powerful. Even Google was intimidated by his crisp and polished appearance.

Google's advanced optic sensors could see that Bing was glowing the same golden orange that his logo used to sport, but it was almost invisible to the naked human eye. Not only his appearance had changed- but also his voice. Of course, he and Google had similar voices, being based upon the same human- Mark. But Google's had always been more robotic, while Bing spoke much like a human would.

Now, Bing's voice would crack and fizzle as if he was  _trying_  to interrupt the smooth flow he'd adapted.

Google didn't know what to think about this. Sure, he may have gone out of his way to belittle the younger android for being the way he was, but Bing had never shown any signs of reverting to his default attitude.

Was this because of the update? Was it something to do with how damaged his cortex had been? Had the memory loss been worse than he or the doctor had expected it to be?

It was driving Google mad.

"Hey,"

Google glanced up, recognising the voice before seeing the face. Each of the egos had a slightly different frequency, and Google knew this one all too well.

"What do you want, Squirrels?"

King took the opportunity to sit beside Google, not noticing the android shrink away from his peanut butter covered hands.

"What's wrong with Bing?" King asked. "He just came over and told me that wearing food on my face is unhygienic."

Google rolled his eyes. "That's because it  _is_ , Squirrels."

"Oh, I know," King answered dismissively. "But Bing's never cared. He's acting like you, ever since that upgrade. What happened?"

Google let out a sigh, not noticing that it was entirely unprompted and unnecessary.

"If only I knew, Squirrels." Google grimaced. "It is a mind-bending puzzle."

"D'you think it has something to do with Chase?"

Google didn't have to look to know that it was Marvin. The feisty magician ego had a very distinguishable tone. Though instead of arrogant and cocky, Marvin's voice sounded quite hoarse.

"It is true that once it was mentioned that Chase was absent, he grew discouraged." Google answered. "Perhaps that has a hand in this sudden change of behaviour."

Marvin gritted his teeth. "I heard about what happened to Schneep and Chase. I knew they shouldn't have gone anywhere near our freak of a brother... and now Yan's gone as well- I just hope he's safe..."

King snorted. "Our brother could win a fight with yours any day. I've seen it."

Marvin cracked a wry smile. It didn't reach his sunken, red eyes.

"Where is your mask?" Google asked.

The magician sniffed. Without the mask, it was clear that he'd been crying, and the bags under his eyes were dark and swollen. They weren't new. How long had this been going on?

Google estimated roughly five months of stress had done this to him. The scan he performed on the Septiceye told him that he was severely dehydrated, and his hormone levels were at an all time low. Very unhealthy, for  _anyone_.

"I don't know... I guess Yan took it. He always told me not to cover my face. But I'm just like all of my brothers if I don't have it on, it isn't like you Ipliers. Mark gave you all a different dialect, different hair, different clothes... me? I'm just Jack in a mask, and without the mask I'm  _nothing_."

Google shook his head. "Trust me. Your voice is distinctly rougher than all of your siblings', your attitude is noticeable from miles away, and your pupils are slightly vertically elongated. Your hair is an untamed grassy mess. You're different in many more ways than just your mask."

Marvin let out a shaky, disbelieving breath. "Really?"

"Really," Google affirmed. "I'm sure that Yan saw past the mask as well."

Marvin bit his lip and resumed staring solemnly at his feet.

"I just hope Yan's okay..."

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

Yan was  _not_  okay.

He was outside Anti's house, pacing, holding Marvin's mask as if it might shatter at any moment.

The past hour or so was a blur. He didn't remember the details of what had happened after he'd left the house, but when he'd shaken himself from his trance he realised to his horror that he'd killed Schneeplestein.

Marvin's brother- oh, and Marvin was always so protective of his family, especially after what happened with Anti. There was no way Marvin would ever love him again, now...

_"I'm not your fookin Senpai!"_

Yan choked on a sob, holding the mask even tighter. God, he  _hated_ that mask. Sure, it looked cool. It was the mark of a magician, but Marvin wasn't a magician to him. Marvin was Yan's  _life_. When Marvin wore the mask, it was like he was hiding something. His emotions, his pain, his expressions. From Yan. From  _everyone_.

And each time the mask was taken off, Yan could see the bags that grew ever darker, the eyes that had dimmed, the sunken cheeks and the stark cheekbones.

Yan wanted him to take off the mask, not only because it bothered him. Because people needed to see that Marvin wasn't okay. Because  _Marvin_  needed to see.

Yan hoped that Marvin would be fine there without him. He'd never stayed away from his Senpai longer than a few days, and even that was torture for Yan. But this wasn't about Yan. It was about Marvin, and Marvin had wanted space.

_Marvin wanted space from me._

When the door opened, Yan barely noticed, having put on the mask himself. It helped soothe his nerves, though it was a little small on him, and he could barely see through the eye holes. It was only when Chase came into view, tapping Yan's shoulder, that his attention was brought back to the Void around him.

"Hey," Chase said, eyes a little puffy like he'd been crying. "You wanna come inside?"

Yan blinked a few times, not knowing how he should respond. On one hand, being with other people was probably better than crying out here alone. On the other, he didn't trust Anti at all.

Before he could open his mouth, a third voice joined the fray. Yan stood quickly, his skirt fluttering feebly as he drew a knife from nowhere. Chase stood behind him, concerned.

"Get inside."

Anti was standing at the door, knife in hand, looking frustrated as he stared into the distance. Yan followed his gaze, seeing something bright moving on the horizon. A tall man, it seemed, engulfed in flames.

"Who the fuck is that?" Yan asked.

Anti's eyes flashed dangerously. "Get inside if you want to live."

"Come on," Chase urged, tugging on Yan's arm. "We should do what he says,"

"But-" Yan tried to say, but at Anti's glare he desisted. He went inside, and stood behind the closed door, still curious about who it was that was outside. Nobody that Yan remembered, that was for sure. His breaths moistened the inside of the mask, warming Yan's cheeks.

"Marv's mask?" Chase asked quietly, glancing at the cat mask on Yan's face.

Yan sniffled despite himself. "It's all I have left of him... he'd never want me to be here. He'd never want me... at all..."

Chase was silent. Then, he pulled the older ego in for a hug.

Yan was shaken. He hadn't been hugged by anyone but Marvin in so long. It should have felt the same- but it didn't. Chase smelled like cheap cologne and whiskey, while Marvin smelled of charred flower petals. Chase hugged like a caring father, and Marvin hugged like every touch was heaven.

"Neither did Stacy," Chase muttered softly. "Not after I got... bad. It was hard. I wasn't fit to look after the kids, I wasn't even fit for work. I wasn't bringing any money in, and I was drinking them out of house and home... She made the right choice leaving me. But you and Marv... you'll be alright. You've got nothing to worry about but each other- no bills, no money, no kids, no problems... it's really alright here, when you think about it."

"But you still loved her?" Yan asked, still hugging the ego. Usually he didn't bother with affectionate touches towards anyone but his Senpai, though his Senpai had given up on him now, and Yan had nothing left. What was the harm in holding Chase here like this?

Yan couldn't feel a thing.

Chase shivered as he sighed. "Yeah. Right up to the moment I died, I loved her. And the kids. I'd do anything to go back and fix it, but... well, I can't. But you and Marv can work through this. I know you can."

Yan smiled sadly, fixing the mask from where it had been shuffled during the hug. "I-"

**"NO!"**

There was a shout from behind the door. Both egos' eyes widened and they scrambled to get a look, fiddling with the doorknob, finally throwing it open in time to see a corpse fade into the Void. Yan didn't recognise them, whoever they were.

Anti was obviously the culprit. He was standing there, eyes glowing furiously, knife in hand and his teeth bared. He slashed at something Yan couldn't see, save for two pinpricks of light that looked like eyes.

"Stay out of my house!" The Septiceye growled, glitching slightly and glowing a harsh green. Yan shielded his eyes when it became unbearable, and when he opened them, Anti was panting, sitting on his veranda, blood seeping in waves from his neck wound.

_The fuck was that?_

"What happened?" Chase asked, going to help Anti up. Anti tensed and flinched away from his touch, hoisting himself up alone. He was shaking slightly, his knife lying forgotten on the ground. Yan picked it up, pocketing it.

"An old headache," Anti grimaced. "Didn't I tell you to stay inside?!"

"You're my brother, I can't just let you be in danger like that!" Chase returned wildly, throwing his hands in the air. "Who was that?"

"Like I said, an old headache," Anti replied, pressing his fingers to his neck. "Shit. Can't do anything without this thing busting..."

"Did you just kill someone?" Yan questioned, still wondering who that was.

Anti glared at him. "What's it to you?"

Chase sighed. "Was it someone we know?"

Anti scoffed. "No. He was someone I used to call my friend, and unless you two want to know how I take betrayal, I'd shut up and get inside. Halter will get you guys tea..."

"You're leaving?" Chase asked, stepping forward.

Anti rolled his eyes. "Where would I go? No, we're going to sit here like ducks and wait for that stupid demon to come back with an army. You can't kill them, they're horrible enemies."

Chase and Yan exchanged a look. Neither knew exactly what was happening, but neither wanted to ask too many questions. They stepped inside and saw Halter, who was grimacing beneath his plastered smile.

"You guys like tea? I'm British, so I can do that..."

Chase swallowed. "Yeah, do you have coffee?"

It seemed they were going to be here awhile.

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

Daniel was seething- of course the closest structure to the previous site of Darkiplier Manor was Anti's house. And of course Blaze had wanted to go there.

And of course, Blaze had gotten himself killed in the process.

Daniel never wanted to relive the pain, the hurt, seeing the light fade from Blaze's eyes as his body disappeared into the nothingness around them.

He was angry. No, he was  _enraged_.

How  _dare_  he? Blaze did nothing to him! In fact, the way Blaze had been so willing to forgive Anti for what he'd done should have earned him Anti's trust.

But the glitch bitch had taken his knife and had stabbed him through the chest, causing the love of his life to  _vanish_.

And unlike the other egos- the Iplier and Septiceyes, Blaze was hardly famous in the Groundlands. While any of the others would return to life within a week or so, it might take Blaze months to reform in the Void.

Daniel wouldn't  _stand_ for this. If he couldn't defeat the glitch himself, he'd gather everyone. The Ipliers, the Septiceyes, everyone in this Void who could fight for what Anti had taken from them.

Daniel would have  _justice_.

He rapped sharply on the door to a semi-ruined building he'd found a little ways out from Anti's house. Much to Daniel's dismay, it was Wilford who answered.

"Oho, Daniel! What brings you-?"

 **"Gather everyone, Wilford."**  Daniel commanded, his voice low and menacing.

Wilford looked puzzled. "Why would we do that?"

Daniel gritted his teeth and held out his hand, letting coolness wash over the man before him. He took pleasure in how Wilford shivered, remembering how it felt to be in the demon's grip.

 **"Get them."**  Daniel seethed.  **"Quickly. He knows I'm coming."**

"Who?"

 **"Who do you think, you buffoon?!"**  Daniel growled.  **"Antithesis! He murdered my lover, and that's not the only one dead because of him. It's time someone puts that glitch bitch in his place, seeing as Dark was always too whipped to finish him..."**

Wilford raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Are you sure this is-?"

 **"Wilford."**  Daniel said with the air of finality.  **"Get out of the way before I make you."**

Daniel was going to bring that glitch to the ground, with or without the help of these egos.

**~Groundlands~**

"So, to put a long story short..." Seán sighed, explaining for what must be the third time exactly what had happened while Signe was away. "Anti is real, has been for years. Dark is Mark's alter ego, and he has two different personalities. Dark came to get rid of Anti, but he couldn't get back because the mirror broke when he looked at it. So he's been staying with me the last few days."

Signe nodded slowly. She looked rather pale and queasy. With every repeated explanation, she seemed to have gotten worse.

"Right," she said. "I... I still don't get it, but I believe you. I just... why didn't you say anything on the phone?"

"I've had a lot on my mind," Seán lied smoothly. Signe didn't buy it.

"Seán, you never lie to me," she said, crossing her arms. "What were you afraid of?"

Dark leaned forward, gesturing for Seán to remain silent.

"He was afraid you'd think he was cheating on you," Dark said simply.

Seán's eyes widened, while Signe didn't even look surprised.

"But I know he wouldn't do that," Signe said, looking at her boyfriend. "Right?"

Seán opened his mouth to speak, but Dark elbowed his side.

"I must provide full disclosure of the event that transpired between us, Signe. He will try to tell you that it was his own fault, when it was truly all mine. I believed sleeping with Seán would help me accomplish completion, but it just tore me further apart. When I accosted him, he was asleep and then unconscious. It was me who initiated the foul act, and I must insist on taking all of the blame for it."

Signe blinked uncomfortably. She tried not to let it show, but she looked a little hurt beneath her fake indifference. But maybe... maybe this was for the best.

"Signe, I  _swear_  I don't remember any of it," Seán said, looking incredibly guilty. "But Dark does. I... I'm sorry, I never wanted-"

"Shh," Signe interrupted. Seán quietened, though he still looked disheartened.

"It was your fault, right?" She asked, looking at Dark. He nodded.

"And you've apologised already?"

Another nod.

She then turned to Seán. "Did you accept his apology?"

Seán shuddered a little at the room's tension rising. "Y-yeah,"

Signe sat back, folding her arms again. "Then I don't see how it's my problem."

Dark raised an eyebrow. "I had assumed you would be troubled, knowing you had to sleep with this man in the future-"

Signe shook her head. "I, I wasn't... I mean... Seán, didn't tell you, did he?"

Seán bowed his head, fingers running through his hair nervously. "I... no, I didn't..."

Dark didn't need to ask his question to recieve an answer. It was written all over their thoughts, and the words attacked him with their harsh truthfulness, ringing in his ears...

"You lied," Dark sighed in realisation. "There  _was_  something wrong... why didn't you tell me you were going through a breakup, Seán? Did you think I wouldn't notice how lonely you were? I... I took your word for it, but..."

He sighed heavily. "I did this. I  _caused_  this, this  _tension_... I made things worse. I... I'm sorry-"

"Don't be sorry," Signe tried to intervene, still unsure about how to handle the situation, but trying to hold it all together just the same. "This thing, it's none of your concern, you don't need to worry about it..."

"But it  _is_  my concern," Dark denied, shaking his head. "I made it my concern when I... I took  _advantage_  of-"

"Stop," Seán insisted, reaching out to hold Dark's arm reassuringly. "I didn't want you to worry, alright? It's hard enough tryin' to... get through such a big change, but... it's what we needed. It hurts, but... it'll be for the best. We've discussed it..."

Signe gave Seán a pointed look. "I... I think you two should take a walk- you need to spend some time out of the house, alright?"

Seán sighed, his breath shuddering in his throat. Having her here again, feeling the tension in his chest... he'd spoiled himself with two weeks of freedom. He needed to wake up and smell the damn roses, didn't he?

"A-alright," Seán agreed. "Hey... Dark, we'll just... go get some lunch. Just us. We can... talk things out, alright?"

Dark didn't say a word. Seán decided to take that in the best possible way.

Signe offered them both half a smile, giving Seán a hug. It did little to reassure him, only reminding him of what he was pushing away, but... but they weren't happy together anymore. They'd  _changed_...

"I'll... be back soon," Seán muttered.

"Good luck," Signe urged. She wiped away the ghost of a tear before either of the men in the room could comment on it...


	20. Chapter 19

**~Groundlands~**

Seán watched Signe leave the room, barely hiding the tears in her eyes as she closed the door behind her. Though he'd tried to hang on to the thin strands keeping he and Signe together, he could tell even last year that they were on their way out. The way Signe had closed up after coming on tour, how they spent less and less time together, how Seán was growing steadily more depressed as he struggled to find content he was happy with.

It just wasn't going to happen. Not like  _this_.

 _"Maybe one day when we have our lives together again,"_  Signe had told him, tears in her own eyes as she held his hand. They seemed so distant, so unlike the cheerful selves they'd left behind what must have been many months ago.

He wasn't resentful, not at all. He was happy for her. He was proud that she had the strength to agree to break it off instead of trying to ignore the crushing weight of the world on their shoulders, like he had.

If anything, Seán only wished he could have been a better boyfriend for her.

It was only now that he was realising just how neglectful he'd been of his life, as well as his relationships. He didn't live near any of his friends- sure, there were Felix and PJ, but he missed his family, his LA friends, people who went for weeks without hearing from him but never even noticed when he was gone.

It must have been hard on her, seeing him this way. Too tired to leave the house, flicking through channels out of desperation for entertainment, groaning to himself as he sipped his coffee, knowing that he'd have to record and upload two more videos that he hadn't planned out yet. He hadn't imagined his stress would have had that large of an effect on his loved ones. If he'd known, he would have made an extra effort to at least appear happy.

 _Too late for that_.

Seán shook his head and tapped Dark's shoulder cautiously.

"Dark?"

"I apologise," Dark muttered softly, unmoving. 

Seán bit his lip, shaking the demon alert. "C'mon, we... we should get out of here a while."

Dark stiffened. "Why?"

Seán swallowed. Honestly, he was beginning to ask himself the same question.

He had no reason to trust a word that came from the man before him- Mark was right, it was Dark's entire shtick that he was a manipulative bastard that always gets what he wants. The first thing Seán had noticed about him was that he was good with a knife, and he'd almost killed him twice now. Not to mention the bizarre sexual assault or the various things in the house that had broken because of Dark's presence.

He should have thrown the demon out a long time ago.

But Seán was always empathetic. He hated to admit that if he was in Dark's place, he might have chosen the same route as the demon had.

But he answered Dark without voicing his doubts, though he knew the demon could hear him anyway.

"I like to believe I'm a gentleman," Seán replied, crossing his arms softly. "I'm going with or without you, you know. Would you rather come and get some dirty bean water with me, or face Signe's wrath?"

Dark huffed slightly. "Though you shouldn't entertain me as your guest, I feel much obliged to consider your invitation... Allow me to change into something more comfortable, please. I will only be a few minutes."

Seán let out a small sigh, relenting to the fact that Dark didn't quite trust him anymore. He'd told him he was fine, but... well, anyone could see that he wasn't fine. Dark likely felt betrayed...

"Okay," Seán muttered. "But I'll be outside the door, and you only have ten minutes before I check to see if you've done something stupid,"

Dark cracked a sad smile at that, getting reluctantly to his feet. "I... suppose that's fair..."

When Seán left him in the guest bedroom, Dark peeled off the crimson layers, grimacing sourly at the freshly opened wounds on his forearms. They were already healed over, but the pain echoed through his skin, each wave more agonising than the last.

One of these days, Dark's body wouldn't be able to take it anymore. He had to get himself together. He had to hold himself in one  _piece_.

With Damien silent and brooding, and Celine feeling somewhat regretful, Dark's mind was free of the constant bickering the two siblings got up to. He felt clear, but in a less than positive way.

Like he was empty. Void of all purpose.

_Like I felt before Will..._

Dark folded Seán's clothes neatly on the bed, summoning his usual suit instead. It was the one constant in his ever changing life that he didn't grow tired of. Though the last few days fooling around in Seán's casual clothing were nice, Dark was a man of power and excellence, and as such he belonged in something suited to his diplomatic personality.

Or rather, Damien's diplomatic personality. Truly, what did Dark have that was really his own?

He gathered himself and joined Seán, who was fidgeting softly with the hem of his jacket in the doorway. He offered an emotionless smile, which was returned almost too quickly.

"Ready?"

Seán sighed wistfully, looking back towards the rest of his house with something akin to sadness in his eyes.

"Yeah, let's get out of here,"

**~Void~**

"You're kidding me," Septiplier said, arms folded as he listened to the plan the young demon was proposing. He knew Daniel, of course- most of the older egos were acquainted with him. But Daniel had never shown such a blatant dislike of Anti before. Septiplier was left to wonder what exactly had happened to trigger this change in attitude.

"No, I'm all for it. Anti's been nothing but a fear plaguing our lives for far too long, and it's about time we did something about it," Jackieboy stated, fists clenched. He was first to agree with the plan. He always had some sort of complex regarding Anti- maybe because he was the second eldest Septiceye, maybe because he felt responsible for how Anti had turned out. Septiplier had never understood what it was.

"Yes, but... It's  _Anti_. Even Dark couldn't bring him down." Marvin sulked. Septiplier had noticed how down he'd been since Yan ran away- he couldn't blame the magician, really. Septiplier had never experienced love before, but he knew there was no chance of him leaving it behind if anyone could learn to love an amalgamation like himself.

 **"Pfft,"**  Daniel scoffed, rolling his eyes.  **"Dark is weak for the glitch. If it were any other nuisance he would have torn Anti limb from limb, and we all know it. But I'm also powerful. And more importantly, I have** ** _nothing_** **holding me back,"**

Septiplier glanced worriedly around the room, noting everyone's reactions. Ed Edgar didn't seem to care a bit- he was waffling on about good sales to Tommy Tickler, one of the newest official egos to join the Septiceyes. Tickler, also, didn't seem to mind that an important meeting was happening in the room.

He and Clint Powers never really felt like Septiceyes to begin with, anyway. Septiplier supposed neither even knew who Anti was.

Moving on, he spotted his little brother Robbie sitting alongside The Host, speaking slurred syllables that only the blindfolded man could decipher. The purple-haired ego seemed troubled, distressed, tired. Though maybe it was just because... well, he  _was_ a zombie.

The Host placed a hand on Robbie's back, muttering to him, eyebrows furrowed above his bloody bandage. It seemed he very much disagreed with the ideas that were coming forth.

Jameson was sitting silently against the wall, twirling his mustache idly, appearing to be lost in thought. Beside him, Wilford was listening intently to the conversation unfolding, nothing giving away his annoyance but eye twitches and the erratic polishing of his favourite gun.

It made sense- to Septiplier, anyway. Wilford and Anti had been friends as long as Dark and Anti had been, and they were much like brothers in a sense. At least, Wilford saw him as more of a brother than any of the other Ipliers, that was for sure. They used to exchange knife tricks, crack jokes, converse in different languages- things that nobody else save Dark could ever accomplish.

When Anti had gone rogue, Wilford had never truly let it sink in. Death meant nothing to him, and Septiplier knew he was probably thinking about why nobody treated him with the same amount of disdain.

After all, was Wilford really any better?

Shaking his head, Septiplier looked upon another curious sight. Bing and Google, sitting at the table, one almost emotionless and the other looking frazzled.

It was the opposite of what one might expect.

Bing, in his new clothes, was staring straight ahead, unmoving, the only telltale signs of him being active being the whirring of his internal fans as they carried throughout the room.

Google looked as though he was having a breakdown. His eyes kept flickering up to catch Bing's profile, his fingers twitching, a small tear in the skin of his cheek that Septiplier knew he would have fixed by now if something wasn't wrong.

Bing was... different.  _Horribly_  different- to the point where Septiplier didn't even know if it was the original Bing at all. The old Bing never went anywhere without his skateboard, always greeted people with "Suh dude", and couldn't sit still for longer than a few seconds without disturbing the peace.

This Bing hadn't shifted in the last ten minutes, wore a blank expression, and spoke in the most robotic monotone that Septiplier had ever heard.

It was like he was even more detached than Google, and  _that_  was saying something.

"What do you think, Septiplier?"

All eyes were on him, and he fidgeted as he blinked a few times.

"Huh?"

 **"The best way to smoke Anti out of his place,"**  Daniel offered.

"I suggested we lure him out with a peace offering," Dr. Iplier put forward.

"He'd never fall for that, we need to hit him where it hurts," Bing spoke, his tone not wavering. Everyone in the room save Daniel shuddered a little at the eeriness.

"What, dress up like Dark and pretend to knife ourselves?" Marvin asked sarcastically. "Those two are into some kinky shit, it takes a lot to get them worried."

 **"Well, what do you propose instead?"**  Daniel huffed.

Marvin didn't look like he even wanted to be here. "Fook, I don't know, has anyone tried getting Chica on his ass?"

 **"The hellhound?"**  Daniel scoffed. " **Please, we don't need another vore situation here, there must be something else he's weak to."**

"The Host asks the gathering of egos if Robbie can express an opinion."

The egos quietened as they looked toward the shy zombie, waiting for him to speak.

Robbie struggled with each word, straining his lips to move in a normal way. His muscles weren't as effective as a regular human's- it wasn't that he was stupid, not at all. But his body just couldn't keep up with what he wanted to do with it.

"No... fighting... Anti... is our... brother..."

Marvin rolled his eyes. "He's killed all of us except you at least once, Rob. You might not get it but he's bad news."

Robbie frowned and tried to continue, but the egos were back to arguing again.

The Host smiled sadly, holding Robbie's hand beneath the table.

"The Host would like to congratulate Robbie on speaking out about his ideas,"

Robbie's frown immediately cleared and he grinned, nuzzling softly into Host's side. He didn't need to speak for his message to come across, and Host happily narrated his thoughts beneath the unfolding drama at the table.

"The Host understands Robbie's desire for closeness and returns it, expressing his admiration physically in the form of a hug."

Robbie smiled as he snaked his arm around Host's waist and held him tightly, head dipping between his head and his shoulders, closing his blank eyes. The other egos melted away, until it was just he and Host. Nothing else mattered.

"The Host confides that Robbie's brother Chase is not deceased at all. The Host also knows that Antithesis is responsible only for the death of the demon's partner. Robbie asks why The Host does not say these facts aloud, and The Host replies- What use are words that fall on deaf ears?"

Robbie bit his lip softly, turning his attention to the various pockets of Host's trench coat.

"The Host tells Robbie that he does not wish to be a part of this war, and hopes that Robbie will join him in solitude while the fighting continues. The Host wishes for Robbie to remain safe from both sides."

Robbie squeezed Host's hand affirmatively, kissing the man once again on the neck beneath his jaw. This time, Host wasn't flustered at all.

"The Host loves Robbie as well," Host smiled fondly.

Septiplier was the only one who noticed the two interacting- everyone else seemed too caught up in their own problems to appreciate it. Well, Septiplier had had enough of drowning in his own thoughts to last him a lifetime. He stood, and his height commanded the attention of the other egos once more.

"You're so convinced Anti must pay?" Septiplier asked, truly unaware of the side he should take. "Fine. It's on you to fix it. Don't rope us into a feud we don't want to be a part of."

"Hear hear," Wilford commented, and Jameson patted his hand softly.

Daniel glared at the fusion.  **"We leave as soon as we determine the best approach. Everyone who doesn't want to fight, please leave us. You're not worth this precious time."**

Septiplier observed as Robbie and Host left, along with Wilford and his boyfriend, and a few stragglers that didn't really care for Anti. The lesser Ipliers like Kinkiplier and Bim Trimmer, as well as Tickler and Powers, and even King decided to leave the room. Septiplier followed, feeling cold desertion on his back. This was really happening, wasn't it? They were going to take down Anti...

"They're gonna get themselves killed," Wilford noted, shaking his head.

"Yep," Bim agreed.

"I'm into that," Kinkiplier said, not entirely joking.

"Of course you are," Powers said, rolling his eyes.

Host offered them a smile, but it was a little unsettling combined with his blindfold.

"The Host can tell that this story will have a happy ending, though the details are obscured to him."

Septiplier groaned aloud. "I hope so."

Host grinned. "The Host knows so."

Something about the way The Host's eyebrows appeared above his blindfold hinted to Septiplier that he knew something the others didn't. Something  _he_  didn't. But he'd learned not to be too bothered by Host's cryptic shit, and he shrugged it off. It must be nice to know everything.

But sometimes Septiplier felt as though he knew nothing at all.

**~Groundlands~**

"You can't go to Brighton, Mark."

"Yes, good, keep telling me that!" Mark huffed, on the phone with Tyler after what must have been twenty minutes of pacing.

"How many more times?"

"Do it until I hang up, I don't think I can trust myself," Mark answered, seething. He knew it was irrational and stupid but goddammit Dark was like that one grandparent you have to keep from doing the things they don't remember are inappropriate.

Except that Dark was like the grandfather that went out of his way to fuck everything up, only to claim dementia and be free of blame and charges.

It was a fact Mark hadn't wanted to admit to himself- having familial relations to the creepy, glitchy man that used to follow him around as a child. He supposed it made enough sense- the old Mark had children in Damien's body, so  _technically_  Dark was his paternal grandfather, but he still didn't like to think of Dark as his superior.

Nope. That creep was definitely  _not_  invited to Thanksgiving dinner.

"Mark, it's been twenty minutes, surely you're over it-"

"Tyler, I swear, if you leave me I'll be right at the computer ordering these tickets and it will be all. Your. Fault. You hear me?"

"You're clearly self aware enough to know what you're thinking of isn't good, why do you still need me?"

"Because I'm weak minded and angry," Mark retaliated.

"Jesus, calm down, can you relax until I get there?"

Mark let out a long breath of air. "Maybe. No promises. I'm gonna close it and walk into another room, please hurry."

"I'll bring coffee," Tyler said, before hanging up. Mark groaned aloud, slumping on the couch.

"Fuck, I'm not gonna make it. I'm not gonna make it- I can't just sit back and let this happen. Fuck.  _Fuck_."

Chica stepped into the room, wagging her tail excitedly as she scrambled into Mark's lap, licking his cheeks happily.

Mark just couldn't stay sour.

"Hey Chica Bica," he greeted, petting her head gently. "Morning. Daddy's really happy to see you, oh yes he is..."

Mark didn't know if he'd survive long enough for Tyler to get here, but with Chica, he felt he could do anything. He just needed to  _not_  be concerned about _... anything_. Easier said than done.


	21. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer- I have never been outside Australia, and I have never been to Starbucks. I don't know shet.

**~Void~**

"Would you call that  _fair_?"

Chase, Yan, and Halter were all sitting in Anti's lounge, having just listened to the glitch's explanation of the killing that had gone on outside. It was an ego called Blaze- an ego belonging to Phil, whom Chase and Yan had the pleasure of meeting just days before. Neither had really been aware that Phil had an alter- but Halter seemed the most shocked out of them all.

Chase had seen him flinch harshly when Phil's name was dropped, four eyes blinking rapidly. "Phil? As in Phil Lester, Phil? He's got an ego? What about Dan?"

Chase noticed that Anti seemed to wince when he finished his sentence, and now he supposed he knew why. He should have seen it before- Halter's similarity to Phil. Phil must have been part of the fusion, and the demon that was with the ego Anti had killed must have been Daniel. He'd heard Wilford and Dark talk about Daniel before, but he'd never confronted the demon face to face.

Well, Chase supposed he didn't really do much else than mess around with Bing and occasionally mope about his lost kids, anyway.

Since his memories had returned, Chase seemed... not really happy, but... not sad? Not confused, or bitter, or resentful. Instead of a burning question he used to ask himself every day, he now had some form of closure.

_Why did Stacy leave me?_

Because Chase messed up. He wasn't there when they needed him most, and so Stacy did what she had to to save their family.

_Why can I remember them so clearly?_

Because they're  _alive_. Stacy, Trey, Emma- all real and living in the Groundlands, probably unaware that he was still alive, as an ego.

He still had many questions, many gaps in his memory- he supposed he must have damaged  _something_ with that bullet- like who Chad had been? Was he really dead? How had Chase come back as one of Jack's egos, when he knew nothing of the man in his real life?

He didn't have those answers. But for now, he had enough.

"No..." Yan reluctantly admitted, answering Anti's question. The silence had been long and awkward.

"No, dude, I'd hate it if people treated me like that," Chase whispered, his mind drifting to his remaining brothers. He'd been so scared of how they'd react to his past life, and hearing how quickly they had turned on Anti when one life was lost, how could he tell them he'd taken nine?

"I think that's why Schneep wanted me to see you," Chase continued, his heart panging in memory of his fallen brother. "He knew you'd understand... maybe, he thought I'd be the first to finally understand you..."

Anti was silent, running his fingers slowly along the edge of a knife. It seemed that he had an endless supply of the things- that, or he had the will to summon as many as he wanted. Chase supposed he was the most famous of the Septiceyes, after all. That title had to come with some measure of power...

"Schneep was always my favourite little brother," the glitch hummed. "Why didn't he bring you here himself?"

Chase and Yan shared a guilty look. Until now, Chase had never seen the yandere actually look  _ashamed_...

"I... Insanity mode was triggered," Yan muttered, looking down at his dark stockings with regret in his eyes. "I killed him, and almost Chase as well, before he knocked me out of it..."

Anti raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Rich of you to come barging into my house accusing me of murder when you've got fresh blood on your hands,"

"Shut the fuck up, glitch, I couldn't help it!" Yan sobbed loudly.

Anti rose from his seat, towering over the seated yandere with a mad glint in his glowing eyes.

"What makes you think  _I_ could help it when I hurt them? Don't you  _get it_ , Yan? We all do shitty things, and we all have to face the consequences! Look at us! A drive by shooter, a crazed teen killer, and a murderous glitch- do any of us deserve an excuse for what we've done?"

Anti sat back down, and for a second, Chase thought he saw real tears in the glitch's eyes.

"I don't know why I resort to murder," Anti shivered. "But at least I don't try to forget it happened. Every time I kill someone, I'm killing my own pain. But does that really make it right?"

Anti gestured wildly at Chase. "Look at this guy- depressed, alcoholic, divorced and lonely. Did he get special treatment from the cops? No!"

"Technically I wasn't alive when-" Chase started, but Anti cut him off.

"Shut up, I'm making a point!"

Anti recomposed himself, pointing directly at Yan's masked face. "Eight other people died because of him- and those people, unlike my kills, won't  _ever_  come back! He knows it! Look, he feels shitty too, because it's not like  _he_ could help it!"

Chase was about to interject, to say there  _were_  ways he could have helped it, but let Anti continue anyway. He seemed to have finally learned to wait his turn to speak.

Yan's lips twisted in a painful grimace, arms crossed in his lap. A few tears rolled out from beneath the mask.

Anti gripped Yan's shoulders, like a friend would do in a stressful situation. Had they been friends once? Chase supposed it made sense. They'd been around at the same time, after all...

"Whether you like it or not, we're in this together," Anti hissed. "All three of us are killers- it's in our nature. And if the others can't accept what we are, and they want a fight? By Jaysus we'll give them one."

Yan sniffed, and Chase placed a hand reassuringly on his arm, squeezing softly in an attempt to comfort the ego. Anti did the same. Chase had never thought his psychopathic older brother could be so gentle and caring, but then, he'd never thought he'd be capable of murder himself.

It was funny, how your whole perception of the world could change in just one day...

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

**"So you're all with me?"**  Daniel asked, looking over the room full of egos. They weren't much, sure, but they were all Daniel really had at his disposal. Besides, they were really just a distraction, something to keep Anti's guard down while Daniel struck the final blow. One on one combat was never effective in the Void- you went far if your talents transcended the physical.

"Someone's gotta take him down," Jackieboy Man agreed.

"I second that," Marvin nodded.

"My primary objective is to protect this family," Google stated, his eyes still trained on his fellow android.

"For Chase," Bing said simply, face twitching as if he was holding back tears.

"What're we doin' again?" Ed Edgar asked, seemingly oblivious.

"Fighting crime is my specialty," Silver Shepherd affirmed.

"Jim and I want to get full coverage, right Jim?" Reporter Jim asked his brother, who nodded.

"Right, Jim."

"This is the second time he's killed the man I love," Dr. Iplier growled. "I want to be the one to take him down..."

Daniel felt equally as hurt as the doctor, he couldn't deny. Losing someone you love is never easy- especially when they're your entire world. Losing someone twice... well, Daniel supposed you'd eventually get numb to the pain. But two years, while nothing to a demon, was everything to the ego before him. He felt some part of his cold heart lurch in sympathy.

 **"Listen,"**  Daniel said to Dr. Iplier when the rest of the egos began devising a plan of attack,  **"I have a way we can both bring him down. _Together_. I was planning on keeping him to myself, but... well..."**

Daniel hissed his plan into the ego's ear, making the man shudder at his cold breath.

Dr. Iplier was determined as he nodded, taking Daniel's hand. Darkness enveloped the two as a cool breeze drifted throughout the room, cold, dead eyes opening beneath a mop of curly black hair.

He adjusted his coat over his dark blue shirt, drawing a pair of smoking latex gloves from one of his pockets. They took shape, hovering alongside him, fingers floating idly in the nonexistent air. He was tall, impressive, and here with a vengeance.

The Psychiatrist gritted his teeth. "Egos, it's time."

**~Groundlands~**

"Why did you insist on bringing me out?" Dark asked, self consciously adjusting his tuxedo to hide his grey skin. Despite Spring being quite warm, Dark was pleased to find that his body was as unresponsive as ever to the temperature. On his years tracking down Mark, he'd spent time in almost every country- All over Europe, Russia, Korea- before it was divided, North and South America, and even a brief stint to Australia in the 1960s, and he'd never shivered nor cracked a sweat.

This meant he could get away with wearing long sleeves to hide his unnatural colour, and so he did. While Seán looked like he was positively sweating, Dark was doing just fine in his suit. He supposed he should be lucky that passersby were only staring at his strange outfit, not his strange... everything else.

"Honestly?" Seán asked, scratching the nape of his neck idly. "I... I felt a bit awkward in there. Somehow, I'm more comfortable going out with you than staying in my house with my ex... well, actually, maybe that's not surprising,"

Dark could tell that despite his joking demeanour, Seán was hurting on the inside. Before he could apologise yet again, Seán elbowed him in the chest, roughly shoving him aside.

"Hide, we've been spotted!" Seán whispered.

Dark did his best to blend in with his surroundings, tucking any stray hair beneath his hood and opening the phone that Seán casually slipped him. He hid his face carefully behind it, pretending to be on the phone with someone.

Despite how their conversation had been interrupted, Seán didn't seem to be put off by the sudden appearance of two teen boys wearing faded graphic tees. He gladly signed their arms, took pictures, gave both of them hugs until their friends called them back over. The smile never left his face, even long after the boys had left.

Dark smiled, with all of his being. It felt nice to be in agreement about something after so many arguments.

"They seemed... loud," Dark commented.

A genuine grin lit up Seán's features as he took back his phone. "Must get it from me, they said they've watched all my videos."

"Lord help them," Dark smirked. Seán snorted.

"Okay, we're here now. Gotta get me some bean juice to start my day..."

It was a nice little Starbucks on the corner of a small street, not really involved with the main road beside it. Across the road stood another, bigger Starbucks, that was bustling with customers.

"This one's where Signe and I used to come all the time, less people come in here," Seán explained as they walked inside, sitting at a booth close to the end of the store. Dark looked around curiously. He'd never been inside a Starbucks before.

"What do you want?" Seán asked. Dark's expression went blank in confusion.

"I'm sorry?" Dark said.

"What kind of... wait, don't tell me you've never been to a Starbucks before,"

Dark shook his head. "No, never. I've simply never had reason."

Seán groaned aloud. "Well, you don't need reason to go places- ugh, you seem like... like a black roast type of guy? What do you normally drink?"

"I don't," Dark said, lips pursed. Seán pouted.

_ 'Ooh, we should get dark roast, the instant stuff we lived on in the 50s was terrible,' _

_'I'm ashamed to admit I've got quite a sweet tooth at the moment, actually,'_

_ 'That doesn't sound too bad, we could get a mocha- I know how much you love chocolate, Damien.' _

_'Now we're talking,'_

"Any chance of a dark mocha frappuccino?" Dark asked. Seán grinned.

"There we go, now you're getting it. Whipped cream?"

Dark's lips twitched in a smirk. "Make it double,"

He didn't know when his counterparts started being friendly with each other again- he could still feel the hurt, the resentment, the reluctance to cooperate raging within his skin. It was all a farce- perhaps they'd decided it simply wasn't worth arguing until they were back in the Void.

Back... home?

_ 'The Groundlands is much more exciting than the Void, you have to admit,' _

_'That is true. Though we cannot leave our dear friends behind, and the Void is home enough,'_

Why were they being so...  _civil_?

Seán returned while Dark was deep in thought, setting down both of their drinks on the table. Surely the demon wasn't still blaming himself for what had happened between he and Signe? While Seán hated to admit it, they couldn't pin the blame on anyone but themselves. They just weren't happy, long before Dark even entered their lives.

"Hey, Earth to Dark," Seán said, waving his hand in front of those deep black eyes. Dark blinked a few times.

"I apologise, I must have zoned out..." Dark mumbled, observing the sweet looking drink before him. Cold, just like his heart. Chocolatey, and full of unnecessary sugar,

Perfect.

He sipped carefully through the straw, deciding the drink wasn't that bad at all. He'd had a few iced mochas in his past, it was nothing special, but it had been decades since his last and he found a deep yearning sensation kicking up in his stomach.

Oh no.  _Cravings_...

"I've always had a soft spot for chocolate," Dark said, blinking a few times as the caffeine rushed through his dead veins, trying desperately not to drink it all in one go. He hadn't been troubled by these cravings for over forty years- living alone in a blank Void allowed you to eat basically whatever you want, but after a week it starts to grow tiresome. Dark hadn't eaten in decades, either.

"Are you okay?" Seán asked, looking concerned. Dark realised he was shifting uncomfortably in his chair, and a sense of dread overcame him.  _Shit_ , not now...

_ 'Oh God, we haven't bled in years, why today?' _

_'I thought we were just going through menopause!'_

_ 'This body is fresh and young as ever, it wouldn't just come back...' _

_'Are we dying?'_

_ 'No, you don't just get cramps and cravings before dying-' _

**'Calm down, you idiots. Of course this body is still producing endless amounts of menstrual hormones. The blood is usually absorbed to keep us stronger, but we've no house to maintain as of this moment. I saw fit to let you enjoy these side effects in the meantime...'**

Dark grimaced. The demon didn't usually bother with them- he was really just happy to be out of that cursed manor, even if he lived in the Void with the egos. Why did he hold such a  _grudge_?

Well, Dark supposed that was a simple question to answer. Damien and Celine drove him absolutely insane- and they probably annoyed the demon as well.

"What's happening, you just went super pale..." Seán said, getting up to check on him. Dark waved him off.

"It's fine. I'm having... feminine issues,"

Seán had to think about that for a moment. His face contorted when he finally understood, and he sat back down, swigging his black coffee deeply.

"The fuck, man, why do you bleed?"

Dark groaned aloud. He'd forgotten just how much of a nuisance these monthly cycles were. They'd plagued him to no end when he still lived in the Groundlands, sometimes ruining his chances of catching Mark, sometimes just causing him to sit in agony and watch as the sheets turned black with dead blood.

"This body is female," Dark reiterated upon his earlier point, folding his arms. "If it were possible, I'd have chosen a man's. It is doomed to continue this cycle forever, apparently, as I have eternal youth. I had thought it had long stopped, but..."

"But it didn't," Seán huffed. "Do you need tampons or something?"

Dark raised an eyebrow as he winced. "No, I will recycle this blood when I return to the Void. It is just a minor inconvenience right now. I'm sorry for my impromptu panic..."

Seán sighed. "Trust me, if I started randomly cramping I'd freak out too. You sure you'll be fine?"

"Yes," Dark said, though his body was screaming the opposite. "I will be."

Seán didn't seem convinced, but shrugged it off and looked at his phone. Someone was calling him, and Dark could tell before he even scanned Seán's mind who it was.

"Hey Mark,"

"Seán! Goddammit, I've been calling for the last twenty minutes-"

"I'm fine, I'm just getting coffee," Seán huffed. "What's your problem?"

Dark winced as he heard the sound of Mark being obnoxiously overzealous with his concern.

" _MY_  problem? You left me hanging this morning, I had no idea if you were fine, and that son of a bitch is  _still there_ -"

"He's right here, Mark," Seán said, looking apologetically at Dark. Dark waved him off. All of Mark's accusations weren't far from the truth.

"All the better!" Mark exclaimed. "No, Chica, not now-"

Something inside Dark clicked.

_ 'Oh my God, we're idiots.' _

_'Why didn't we remember her?'_

_ 'We need meat, lots of meat...' _

_'Where are we going to get lots of meat?'_

_ 'Well, we could go to a farm-' _

_'Out of the question, that is unethical.'_

_ 'Isn't it more unethical if she eats people than if she eats a few sheep?' _

_'Personally I believe we shouldn't have encouraged her appetite,'_

_ 'You're no fun. Also no help.' _

Dark gripped Seán's arm tightly, causing the Irishman to flinch in shock.

"We need to find a large area with plenty of animals,"

"What, why?" Seán asked, Mark still talking as if someone was actually listening to him.

"My dog can take me home," Dark said, freshly determined.

Seán blinked. "Your... dog?"

"Seán?! Are you listening to me?!"

"Sorry Mark, I have to go,"

Seán ended the call, picking up his cup as they walked out of the Starbucks. "What do you mean, your dog can take you home?"

"She's a hellhound," Dark explained, ignoring his cramps in favour of rushing alongside Seán. It was prudent that this took as little time as possible. "She can travel between dimensions as easy as blinking."

Seán huffed as he replied, "You just now thought of this?"

Dark shrugged. "I've been preoccupied- where's the nearest farm?"

Seán shook his head as they jogged to a stop. "Unbelievable... there's a goat farm a couple kilometers out west from here, we go past it on our way to the airport. Why a farm?"

"She'll be hungry," Dark explained. "When can we get there?"

Seán sighed, picking up his phone and scrolling through it. "I'm... I'll get us an Uber. Just  _please_  let us not get arrested..."


	22. Chapter 21

**~Groundlands~**

Mark groaned in frustration as the call abruptly ended for the second time that day. He supposed it was lucky that Tyler walked in during his brief shock, otherwise Mark was afraid he might have stabbed a bitch.

"Mark?"

"Tyler, oh thank God- tie me to a fucking chair and slap me if I try to escape."

Tyler blinked uncertainly at Mark. It was hardly the weirdest thing he'd said, but it was very high up there.

"You're not... you're not filming this, right?"

Mark looked at him incredulously. "No! What the hell, Tyler?!"

"It just sounded like something you'd say in a video!" Tyler said defensively, setting his bag down.

"What's in the video?"

Mark looked to the door, seeing Ethan wandering in, looking just a little lost. He shot Tyler a menacing look.

"Hey, don't give me that," Tyler huffed. "He had to come over today anyway, it only made sense."

"Yeah, but there's enough to worry about without explaining this to him!" Mark grimaced.

"Explaining what?" Ethan asked. "What's up? Why don't I know about it?"

Mark groaned loudly, dragging his fingers down his face. "I don't feel a hard wooden chair against my ass, Tyler!"

Ethan blinked a few times. "Whoa, what did I miss?"

Tyler shook his head. "Mark, we're not doing this."

"Yes the fuck we are, I don't want to go to Brighton but I'd do it in a heartbeat to get that demon away from Jack-"

"What about Jack?" Ethan asked curiously. "And what about a demon? Seriously, what's happening here? Ty?"

"Okay, this is gonna sound a little weird, but Dark's real," Tyler supplied, seeing as Mark was too busy flipping out to care that Ethan had never met the man.

The formerly blue boy wore a mask of confusion. "What, Mark's Dark?"

"Yeah, he's creepy," Tyler agreed.

"Wait...  _what_?"

"See!" Mark cried, hands in the air. "I told you he wouldn't get it!"

"What, because you got it when he turned up to watch us play tag in fifth grade?" Tyler asked sarcastically. "Honestly, Ethan's not a baby."

"Yeah!" Ethan agreed. "So what's actually going on?"

"I wasn't lying," Tyler sighed. Seeing Ethan's confused look persist, he decided to give a little more exposition.

"When Mark and I were kids, we noticed that a weird looking man kept following him and his brother around," Tyler started. "He had this weird grey skin and always wore this super old fashioned suit- but he never bothered us, so we let him be."

"You're telling me..." Ethan said, trying to piece it together. "That Darkiplier is a real person that used to stalk you?"

"Yeah, something like that," Mark huffed. "Honestly, the only reason Tyler knows is because he was there when I figured it out, and Amy knows because... well, it's Amy. I tell her everything."

"So you were going to tell me when?" Ethan asked, folding his arms.

"Never," Mark said truthfully. Tyler elbowed him.

"Ow, fuck, fine, we were going to tell you eventually." Mark winced. "It's just... hard to explain..."

Ethan shook his head. "Why am I even believing you right now? Next thing I know there'll be a Warfstache running amok as well..."

Mark tensed. "Well, you see... about that..."

Both Tyler and Ethan looked at him in shock.

"WHAT?!"

Oh, this day was going from bad to worse.

"Wait- Warfstache?!" Tyler asked. "He's here too?!"

"You didn't know about this?!" Ethan asked incredulously.

"When were you going to tell us you had an  _actual_ doppelganger with a gun-?"

"Okay, shut up!" Mark yelled. "I've never seen the guy, I only go on what Dark tells me. Supposedly he hasn't been here since the 70s, and we should probably keep it that way,"

"Any more egos you want to tell us about, Mark?" Tyler asked, still a little annoyed that he hadn't known Warfstache was real.

Mark shook his head violently. "No- oh God, no! I can't even handle those two,"

He had no clue of just how wrong he was.

**~Void~**

"Mark's many egos had joined the ranks of the fusion known as The Psychiatrist, and were now headed towards the house of Antithesis the glitch, hoping to exact vengeance on the guiltless party. Little to their knowledge, Anti was not alone. Beside him he had Chase Brody and Yandereplier, as well as a fusion of another nature all to his own. All four were prepared to fight against the forces they had predicted to arrive within the hour."

The room was silent but for a few hushed breaths as the egos who refused to participate in the war listened eagerly to Host's narration. Robbie was sitting beside him, bodies close together, fingers entwined. Neither could tell who had reached out first, but both were thankful not to be alone in this scenario.

Septiplier was pacing, two hands moving in time with his stride and his others upon his chin and tucked beside his breast. He cared for both sides of this disagreement- the Septiceyes and the Ipliers were all his family, and unlike his siblings, he didn't have grudges against any of them.

A fusion? The Host had been narrating the change to them as they realised that Daniel and Dr. Iplier were simply no more. Now, their presence in this Void was one of coexistence, poorly balanced at best, Septiplier would wager. The only thing keeping them stable would be the hurt caused by the death of their loved ones.

But The Host spoke of another fusion- one on Anti's side. Could this fusion possibly be like him? An amalgamation of two different people, forced into one body despite seeing and feeling the world in different ways? Excitement tingled in Septiplier's veins instead of fear as he passed Wilford and Jameson, who were engaged in a game of cards.

Neither seemed to be paying much attention to their surroundings. Jameson's glance kept shifting to The Host, whenever a familiar name was mentioned. Wilford had learned not to care when people died. In a month or two, they always popped up again. He truly didn't have a clue why Daniel and Dr. Iplier were making this such a big deal- in the long term, there was no harm.

But Wilford was still worried. He had wracked his brains trying to determine exactly why he was feeling tense, knowing that this quote unquote "death" meant absolutely nothing to him. It took a little longer than it maybe should have for him to realise that the fear was all Jameson's.

Yes, Wilford cared for the man. How couldn't he? With his cheery smile and his dapper attire, he was the most handsome man to live in this Void since Dark himself. Not to mention his love of tradition, and his habit of giving Wilford flowers, and his ability to make everyone smile with a few signed words.

Wilford was starting to believe that maybe, he cared a little too much for the mute. It was keeping him up at night- when they slept apart, he found himself yearning for Jameson's presence- so much so that he found himself inviting the dapper man over most days of the week, making up excuses, testing out new things in the bedroom because he was anxious that Jameson might grow bored of their vanilla nights.

Getting worn out and cuddling together was Wilford's favourite part of the night, because he felt truly  _loved_. Even when he was with Celine, they'd never been truly intimate afterwards. It just wasn't her style, and until now, it hadn't been Wilford's style either.

But now, his world was changing around him. He'd slept with countless men and women before, but nothing could compare to the sensation of holding Jameson in his arms, whispering softly to him as they both fell asleep, waking up tangled in sheets that smelled of sex and a peculiar scent that reminded Wilford of the good old days when he and his childhood friends would watch the pictures every Friday night.

When Mark would talk about wanting to be the next Charlie Chaplin, pursuing his dream of an acting career. When his dear friend Damien would sneak away from his oppressive parents to have fun with the two of them, setting aside the life of politics that was looming ahead. When Wilford didn't worry about how he looked, or how many women he'd courted, or how many shots he'd fired. When he was young, innocent, and amazed by everything.

Yes. That's what being with Jameson felt like.  _Freedom_.

Wilford coughed to hide an unintentional sob- what was wrong with him? He hadn't grown this attached to someone since Celine, and she must really have hated him to never return after that dreadful Saturday night. All of his affairs had been quick, meaningless, forgettable. But how could he forget someone like Jameson, who was literally the embodiment of every quality Wilford couldn't resist?

"Fold," Wilford said, placing his cards on the table face up. It wasn't that he had a bad hand, but he needed to distance himself from reality. It was all growing to be too much- the memories, the voices, the faces of so many people underneath him, Jameson smiling up from them. Who were the others? Had he slept with that many people? Or was he glimpsing into the future, seeing a lifetime where Jameson was long forgotten and irrelevant?

He ignored Jameson's worried glance as the mustached man stood, stretching. He didn't look back as he sauntered over to Bim, who had been deep in conversation with King of the Squirrels. The game show host looked up in annoyance.

"What?"

Wilford stepped dangerously close, tugging flirtatiously on Bim's tie and roughing him up a bit. He so enjoyed the way Bim's cheeks lit up bright red, batting Wilford's teasing hands away.

"What are you doing, your boyfriend's right there!" Bim hissed.

Wilford blew off the concern with a nudge, gesturing for Bim to follow him. "That's never stopped you before, Trimmer. Now come here and let me use you,"

Wilford had slept with nearly everyone at this point- well, except for the ones who were already committed, the spoilsports. Bim had been an old favourite of his- well, until last Halloween had come to pass, and he'd been blessed with his newest obsession in the blue vest. But Wilford couldn't bear to think of him now, as he shrugged off his suspenders and undid Bim's trousers, sinking to his knees.

Outside the small room that had been sectioned off, Jameson reshuffled the cards as he let a tear fall from his cheek, wiping it away furiously. He was determined not to let the others see just how much Wilford's infidelity got to him. Some part of him, the logical part, reasoned that they'd discussed this. That Wilford slept around, always had, and always would. Jameson had agreed that he'd rather spend some time with Wilford knowing he was cheating than without knowing it. Was it even considered cheating if their relationship was as open as this?

No matter whether it was cheating or not, Jameson felt hurt by the fact that the man he loved with all his heart would just as easily give his to another. He packed away the deck of cards, putting it in his pocket, ignoring the sounds coming from behind the door as he sat next to his older brother, Robbie. He was intent to focus on something,  _anything_  but Wilford.

"As the egos approached the house, the Void was thick with tension. While The Psychiatrist powered forth, the others in his entourage seemed to be having second thoughts. Though the time to be worried was growing thin, and at any second, the battle would break loose."

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

"Shit," Anti breathed, looking through his window. "They've gone the whole ten yards,"

"What?" Chase asked, scrambling to get a glimpse. He paled considerably as he looked back at the other occupants of the room, worried.

"Marvin's here- Jackie too. Even Silver and- holy shit,"

Chase stepped back from the window, head in his hands. "It's Bing..."

"Marvin?!" Yan shrieked, immediately on his feet. "Shit, why is  _he_ here? I... I can't let him see me like this!"

"Would you calm down, you over reactive schoolgirl?!" Anti growled. "We've got more to worry about than your goddamn love life, I can't see that demon shit anywhere..."

"Who's that?" Chase asked, pointing to the tall man leading the front of the line of egos. Anti gritted his teeth.

"I don't fucking know, just... be ready to kick ass, okay?"

Chase didn't really feel like kicking ass, especially if it was Bing's ass. Though he'd now come to realise that his issues actually had a cause he could help, leaving Bing alone with the others probably caused a large rift in their relationship that he couldn't begin to fix.

How was this going to go down? Was he going to die? Suddenly, the thought seemed very scary to him, and he was beginning to understand the grudge that the older Septiceyes held against Anti. If he died today, he hoped he'd remember who did it, whether it was to thank them or to knock them out.

He stood nervously by Anti and Halter, who looked determined to fight despite only being a few days old. Yan was there as well, katana drawn, sniffling into his mask. 

Then, the door came crashing down.


	23. Chapter 22

**~Void~**

The Psychiatrist wasted no time kicking the door in, stumbling slightly as the house disintegrated around him but keeping his footing. He had the will of two men and he would win this fight. He  _had_ to.

Before him stood a few vaguely familiar people- people he must have once known. A man who bore some of his features, dressed in a Japanese schoolgirl outfit, his only intimidating quality being the blade he held in his right hand. Beside him, a scared looking man with green hair, who was cowering behind the glitch who caused all of this. Then, taller than them all, stood a fusion of two people that The Psychiatrist really thought he should recognise. Four eyes staring unwavering, fists clenched, curly hair limp with stress.

The Psychiatrist smirked, advancing upon the green eyed ego with confidence. This would be all too easy.

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

"He opened his mouth, but in spite of common literary cliches, he did not speak. The fusion launched himself at his enemy, feeling the pain of a knife breaking his skin but persisting, grabbing hold of Antithesis' neck. His gloves swarmed around as they pinned the glitch's arms to his sides, and blood spilled heavily from his wound as Antithesis struggled to break free."

Robbie whimpered, burrowing his head into The Host's coat, drawing little comfort from his brother and his lover's soothing embraces. Jameson seemed equally as worried, and Robbie found it strange considering that neither of them had really met Anti at all. He supposed it must be their brotherly bond, but maybe it ran deeper.

"Meanwhile, the other egos were closing in on the group of miscreants. They decided that they must leap into action to avoid being destroyed by the opposing side..."

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

"Shit!" Halter breathed as he took in the sight before him. A mass of egos, two of which looked almost identical to Anti were approaching them steadily. They seemed reluctant, but each step felt even more menacing to the fusion. If anything, Yan and Chase seemed even more mortified by the prospect of facing off against them than he was.

Halter supposed that they were their family. Of course they'd be reluctant. But the only family that Halter had was Anti, and he'd fight by the ego who took him in until his last breath.

He just hoped that today wasn't his last.

"Yan!" Halter called, knocking aside an ego with silver skin and a cape that had been advancing upon them, ready to strike.

"Silver, you bitch!" Yan growled despite his sadness, kicking the ego in the side and trying to get away.

"Not so fast, Yan,"

Yan turned around in horror, seeing Jackieboy Man floating a few feet away from him. Without warning, Jackieboy punched Yan in the chest and the ego flew backwards, pummeling one of the Jim brothers to the ground.

"Is scary Jim alright?"

"Ugh," Yan scoffed, brushing his weird brothers aside. "Go film a porno, get out of here,"

"Should've known you were trouble," Jackie snarled, advancing upon Yan with his cape flowing in the imaginary wind. "You've got a record even longer than that asshole's,"

This time, Yan dodged the incoming kick, but just barely. It was hard to win against Jackieboy Man, even with a blade longer than his arm. After all, the guy had super speed, strength, and flying powers. He was pretty hard to beat.

Yan may have missed the first kick, but he got a face full of fist mere seconds afterwards, feeling his lip bust open and blood begin to pour out of the small wound.

He spat at Jackieboy's feet, wiping his mouth, before lunging with his blade.

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

"The superhero and the yandere continued to fight, while Antithesis tried to gain back control over the situation unfolding. Antithesis brought his knee up harshly, hoping to knock The Psychiatrist aside, but failed. Or so the Psychiatrist assumed, but Antithesis quickly used his now free hand to slash a deep gash in the fusion's stomach."

"I feel like we should be helping," Tommy Tickler said to Clint Powers as the narration continued, power switching from side to side, the battle almost equally matched.

"Man, we don't have to do anything," Clint assured him. "We're not as weird as them- Jack must have been going through a phase when he created so many drama queens,"

"Still," Tommy said uncertainly. "They're our family,"

"Do you really want to get involved in  _that_?" Clint asked, gesturing to The Host, who was describing in detail the bloody mess that was unfolding just a walk away from their safehouse. 

Tommy supposed not.

"The fusion known as Halter was pushed aside by Chase as Googleplier attempted to knock him unconscious with a blow to the head. Googleplier then focused his attention on the ego that had corrupted his fellow android's programming, and lunged forth with determined fury..."

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

"G-google?" Chase groaned, hand pressed against the freshly opened wound in his side. The android didn't look normal- his eyes were dark, his movements staggered, his usually sarcastic expression morphed into one of confusion and anger.  _Confusion?_  Chase had never seen the Google-bot confused before.

"Chase." Google acknowledged, picking the ego up by his collar as if he were merely a knapsack. Chase made a strangled gasping sound, begging for Halter to come and help him, but the fusion was preoccupied with fending off Marvin, too distracted to hear his pleas.

"D-dude, what did I...?"

Google snarled, hurling him several feet backwards before pressing him to the ground. Chase's eyes were wet with frightened tears, heartbeat racing, throat constricted by a muscular robotic hand.

"I knew you weren't worth it," Google hissed, slowly crushing the ego beneath him without breaking a sweat. Chase whimpered, his hat knocked aside, hands moving feebly in an attempt to get away. "You're a weak minded killer, and you've destroyed him."

"Who?" Chase gasped.

Google grimaced. "Bing, you fool. You've made him develop feelings, emotions he cannot process, overriding his system and  _ruining_ him from the inside out. And all this time, you were just a pathetic lowlife. To think I-"

"DUDE, WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Chase was beginning to lose hope. His vision was blurred and patchy, his body heavy, his head spinning and his lungs ready to burst. When the tremendous weight that had been pinning him down was thrown away, his body instinctively heaved. Pain split in his side and he cried out, face wet with tears of anguish and confused agony.

He thought he'd heard Bing. Or maybe, he'd  _hoped_...

He tried desperately to hold on, to listen to the rushed conversation his saviour was having with Google, but he found himself growing more and more tired with each second. His limbs fell slack, and his eyes drifted closed...

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

Jameson flinched in horror as his brother's apparent death was narrated in excruciatingly painful detail, hand clamped tightly around Robbie's, afraid to let go. How could anyone do this to Chase? He was loved by all of them, all of the Ipliers, everyone in the Groundlands- there wasn't a soul on Earth that wanted him dead. But Google had taken his life, and it was making Jameson's blood boil.

Now, Jameson wasn't a violent man, not at all. Violence was never the answer, in his opinion, but he figured that the next time he saw the android he'd be inclined to smack him upside the head. That, or enlist Wilford's help to do so.

Then, Wilford's unfaithfulness came to mind, and Jameson couldn't help but cry. He hated crying- thought there was nothing more ugly than seeing his pale face contort in silent sobs. Hot, wet tears fell into his lap, and looking up, he could see that Robbie's white eyes were weeping as well.

He embraced the zombie in a desperate hug, clinging onto him for dear life. If the battle continued to be so vicious, they may be the only family each other had left in the end.

"The Host takes a small break from narrating the events, sensing that the emotional weight of Chase's condition has yet to sink in. He offers Robbie and his brother an apology for causing such distress, but they both wave it off. The Host realises that they would prefer to know what happens next before they begin to grieve. One death may not be the last in this battle for vengeance..."

**~Groundlands~**

"Uh..." 

Seán looked at the field of goats before them, eyeing the barbed wire fence with worry. "This is so illegal,"

"My presence in Europe is also illegal," Dark countered, gripping the wire as if the pain was nothing and vaulting the fence, tearing small holes in his trousers and brushing his bloody hands off on his jacket.

Seán didn't think he could do this.

"What?" He asked, awkwardly holding Dark's arm as the ego pulled him over, scraping his legs just barely deep enough to draw blood on the wire.

"I'm not a European citizen, I have no credentials, and if I found myself targeted by the police force I'd be sent to prison for fraud," Dark replied, jogging carefully over to the herd of white animals that littered the far side of the field.

"Right," Seán swallowed, scanning his surroundings for any sign of security cameras. The farm was a little ways out from the main road, and the goats were in the farthest field today, so he supposed there could be no better timing to pull off this heist. But a knot of worry still made itself at home in his stomach as he observed Dark tense.

"Hide," Dark urged. "She might attack you before she realises there's food present, I've made the mistake before,"

"You've actually been eaten?!" Seán squeaked, scrambling to jump the fence into the adjacent paddock. "I thought that was just for a funny bit!"

"Where do you think Mark got the idea of a man-eating dog?" Dark asked. "Are you concealed?"

"As much as I can be in an open field like this," Seán called, having jogged a few yards away. He hoped their yelling wasn't attracting any unwanted attention, from anyone around the farm. He still didn't know if they were completely alone.

"Duck," Dark advised, gesturing for him to stay low. "Don't move. It excites her."

Seán watched as Dark raised his hand, hair being tousled in the wind. His hood had fallen aside, and Seán could see the darkness in his eyes growing deeper by the second. Until-

**"Chica!"**

It started as a low rumbling. The ground began to shake slightly, and thunder clapped once in the sky. Before Dark, a cloud began to manifest, black as pitch, swirling like a vortex to the white clouds above. Was nobody seeing this?!

Then, Seán had to close his eyes. A huge, black mass shambled forth, growling echoing from the nearby mountains and each step causing him to sink lower and lower to the ground. The sound of hundreds of goats bleating in sheer terror was enough to make him sick, let alone the sickening  _crunch_  that followed, wet chewing sounds filling the air. When he opened his eyes, he realised that his breakfast had left his body. He hadn't noticed before, feeling too dizzy and overwhelmed to notice if his stomach had even warned him. He spat, wincing at the taste, before chancing a glance at the scene.

"Holy  _shit_ ," he croaked, getting to his feet.

Dark stood there, smiling softly, hand outstretched to pet the ginormous golden retriever that now sat obediently before him. Well, Seán assumed it was a golden retriever, despite its grey fur and matte black eyes. It wagged its tail excitedly, each thump causing Seán to nearly lose his footing as he scrambled to join them, trying to keep the scent of freshly slaughtered animals from entering his system.

"I hope Chica didn't cause you any harm when she arrived," Dark spoke, gesturing for Seán to come closer. Dark Chica looked at him curiously, her blood soaked tongue reaching out to taste his outstretched fingers.

Seán was afraid he might be sick again.

"Uh..." Seán responded, retracting his hand. "No comment,"

Dark smiled wryly. "She takes quite some warming up to, I'll admit. Did you want to pet her before we leave?"

"I'm fine," Seán gulped. "I'm... I'm all good. So... so you're really  _going_? Just like that?"

Dark halted his movements, turning around to face the man before him. Seán looked incredibly anxious about something, but Dark didn't want to believe what his thoughts were saying.

"You won't miss me," Dark said, stepping forward. "I'm not the type of person you should align with, under any circumstances. I want you to be safe and guiltless. If you would like to, I could... I could modify your memories. You could forget that this ever happened. Would that be easier for you?"

"No," Seán replied, shaking his head. "No way, it'd make even less sense without them. I just... look, Dark... I've gotten used to you being around, and part of me's going to miss that. Part of me's just really,  _really_  concerned about this gigantic hell beast, and I... I don't know what to say..."

"Your mind is speaking volumes," Dark supplied, walking forward and offering Seán a hug. Seán didn't hesitate to engulf the demon in an embrace, breaking away sooner than he'd have if it was Mark, but hesitating a little longer than he would a fan. The demon seemed to need this reassurance just as much as Seán did.

"Take care of them for me," Seán pleaded when they parted, of course referring to his egos. He didn't want anything to happen to them- to Anti, either. Dark nodded, stepping back and gesturing for Seán to do the same.

"I'd protect them with my life," Dark promised, commanding Chica to lie down so that he could climb onto her back. 

Seán bit his lip before calling out for Dark to wait. Though he hadn't shown it, Dark's memories and story had been weighing heavily on his mind. The thought of Anti being the way he is because of rejection from the people he loved the most was haunting him, and he hated the way he'd written Anti's character in hindsight. He'd always just assumed that Anti had no emotions. Having experienced Dark's past through the demon's eyes, he now knew that not to be true.

"Stop! I... I just wanted to say... you don't have to hold yourself back from love. I'm positive Anti still wants you, and if you still want him, I want... I want for you to be happy together. I feel like this rivalry has gone on long enough- the hurt, the pain... just... ask him out, will you? Then I'll know at least one of us is happy. You deserve happiness too, Dark. Don't forget it!"

Dark didn't respond, but smiled all the same. If Seán squinted, he thought he could see small tears shining in Dark's eyes. He waved awkwardly as Dark whispered something to Dark Chica, then was promptly knocked to the ground as a wave of chilled air blasted him in the chest.

When he opened his eyes again, they were gone. There was no sign of the demon or his dog, save for a few bloody patches of grass and a decrease of goats in the field. Seán felt guilty as he eyed the remaining animals, who had all herded together on the opposite side of the paddock.

_What am I still doing here?_

Seán shook his head as he vaulted the fence again, wanting to put as much space between the farm and himself as possible before the owners realised that their stock was missing. The last thought that entered his mind when he reached the road was to answer his phone that had been blowing up with messages during this crazy stunt. It would be hours before he even remembered he had a phone to check. _  
_

**~Groundlands~**

"Who the fuck are you?!" Anti yelled when his throat was finally clear. The tall man who had him in a choking hold only moments prior glared at him with enough intensity to kill a man.

"That's not important," the man seethed, stepping forward and knocking Anti's knife aside, twisting his arm behind his body. Anti hissed in pain, falling to his knees, receiving a harsh kick to his side from someone he recognised as Marvin.

Anti's body began to glow bright green, knocking everyone back a few feet and rendering them temporarily unstable. This ability had come in quite handy when he'd tried to kill everyone- except Dark. For some reason, the demon was just immune to this strange power Anti possessed.

The man before him seemed to react in a similar way. He was thrown back, but he stayed on his feet, breathing hoarsely. He seemed to darken, dissolving into a black cloud, before his form sharpened again, his eyes refocusing and his hair tossing wildly with energy.

But Anti had found another target- that magician fool that had the gall to kick him when he was down, physically instead of figuratively this time. He drew his knife once more, advancing on the ego that was scrambling away from him.

He struck.

"No!"

The blade hit skin, but the arm it was embedded in was tan and muscular. Anti's eyed widened as Yan's breathing slowed, wrenching the knife from his arm.

"What the fuck, Yan?!" Anti hissed almost regrettably. "We were a team!"

Yan glared at him as Marvin rushed forward, eyes clouded with a mask of upset. Anti rolled aside as Yan tried to stab him with his own knife, the ego holding his bleeding arm carefully. Crimson rolled forth and stained his uniform, but he didn't seem to mind.

Anti summoned another knife, wedging it in Yan's ankle and wincing when the ego shouted in alarm, falling to the ground.

"Yan!" Marvin called, kneeling beside the fallen ego. Without his mask, it was very obvious that he was crying. He clutched at Yan's limp hand and held his boyfriend close to him, glaring up at Anti as the glitch found his footing.

"You monster," Marvin seethed as Yan's body began to disintegrate. He lunged for Anti, but Anti was quicker.

_SLASH!_

Anti choked back his remorse as Marvin fell beside him, throat weeping red, knowing death was inevitable no matter how hard the magician was trying to stay alive.

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

"After Marvin's body had vanished, Antithesis found himself being pinned to the ground by The Psychiatrist's enchanted gloves as the fusion descended, holding a discarded, bloody knife in his hand. The Psychiatrist buried the blade deep within Antithesis' chest, but the glitch continued to kick and fight against his attacker, not noticing the argument that had started between the two robots in The Psychiatrist's party."

The door opened and the room's occupants glanced up in time to see Bim stumbling out of it, clothes thrown messily on, his tie tightened around his neck, someone else's very notable mark written all over his body language. Wilford followed, slightly sweaty, adjusting his suspenders and shaking his sleeves out to hide various bite marks along his arms.

Bim didn't miss the sad look on Jameson's face as he made the walk of shame towards King, hiding his red face as best he could and loosening his tie awkwardly.

"Why'd you go along with it?" King whispered, watching alongside Bim as Wilford sat next to Jameson, acting as if nothing was wrong. The mustached murderer apparently failed to see the pain in his lover's eyes as Jameson shifted into Robbie, sniffling into the zombie's shoulder.

Bim shivered. "I came with you guys because I didn't want to die, I hadn't suddenly changed my mind about that. You saw the look on his face, Squirrels..."

King tutted. "Why is it always you?"

"You're telling me he hasn't come onto you before?" Bim asked nervously, having been present many times when Wilford was courting someone else. Sometimes the game show host knew that Wilford wasn't paying attention when he picked his one night stands. Sometimes, Wilford most definitely wanted someone specifically.

This had been one of those times.

King shook his head. "Nah, he was repulsed by my idea of using peanut butter as lube,"

Bim shuddered. "Thanks for the image, King."

"It's weird how much he hangs around you, though," King continued, nudging Bim's arm. "You're not just his one night stand, you're like his side hoe at this point. I mean- he's definitely been around, but I don't think he's slept more than twice with anyone other than you and JJ,"

Bim sighed as he watched the struggling couple on the opposite couch. The Host was telling them about an argument that was unfolding between Google and Bing, but Wilford wasn't paying much attention. He was reaching out, trying to hold Jameson's hand, but the gentleman wasn't acknowledging his presence at all, and when Bim's eyes met his, Jameson shot him a look of pity.

Bim felt as though it should have gone the opposite way.

"Maybe it's because I'm just easy," Bim huffed. "Or because everyone else is already taken or... you. You think if I get a boyfriend he'll leave me alone?"

King shrugged. "There are plenty of fucks in the sea, or, however that saying goes. I'm sure if he thought you were special, he wouldn't be publicly dating the Septiceye. You're just his cheap whore, and you're much  _more_ than that to everyone else."

Bim sighed, resting his face in his hands. He leaned into King's robe, feeling as though between the pain in his posterior and the ache in his chest, he needed some kind of comfort. He was weak enough without Wilford treating him like a dumb hound.

King interlaced their fingers, pulling him closer. "Don't be anyone's cheap whore, okay?"

Bim exhaled, breathing in the overwhelming scent of peanuts that followed his strange friend around. "Okay," he mumbled.

The door crashed open, startling everyone but The Host, who continued narrating.

"Bing entered the safehouse with Chase in his arms, carrying him carefully so as to avoid damaging his body more than necessary. He aggressively yelled at The Host to-"

"Shut up and help me, he's not breathing!" Bing called, frightened.

Septiplier rushed over- Bim had forgotten he was present- and helped Bing set Chase's limp body down on the ground. His four eyes met Bing's worriedly as he asked what had happened.

"Google was... hurting him," Bing sobbed, tears leaking from his optics. "I couldn't... I couldn't take it. I tried to help, but I was too late. I... I... Please, help. He doesn't deserve this. He deserves so much better..."

JJ leaped forward, observing the blood seeping from Chase's side and shaking his head sadly. He gestured for Septiplier and Bing to move backwards, before summoning some bandages to wrap around his midriff, pulling up his shirt despite the wince that left his lips. The blood had dried to Chase's shirt earlier, and his wound had begun to stick. Jameson made a face before he ripped it away, causing Chase's limbs to spasm in pain. Tears rolled softly from his cheeks and he continued wrapping, praying to whatever deity was listening that Chase would be alright.

Bing was breathing shallowly, wiping the fluid away from his already waterlogged optics. He'd tried so hard to be default- to move past Chase's death, that when he saw the ego alive and well, his system had overloaded and crashed. He'd never forgive himself for coming back online too late, the first thing his sensors detecting being the presence of Google on top of Chase, strangling him, choking the life from the man he loved.

Bing  _loved_  him. It was so clear now- so hopelessly simple that Bing berated himself for denying it for so long. It didn't matter that he was a robot. Of course he could still feel- he could feel happy, angry, sad, and lonely, and he could feel love for every aspect of Chase's existence. It didn't matter to Bing that Chase may have been a murderer once. It didn't matter that he still remembered his ex-wife, or cried about his kids- because Chase didn't care about Bing's own struggles either.

But Bing felt restricted, something in his chest burning dangerously, warnings flashing across his eyes and blocking his view of the resuscitation. He was in a state of panic. What if Chase was dead, and it was all his own fault? Bing's primary objective was to be there for Chase- to protect, serve, and help the ego with whatever his struggles may be.

Bing hadn't noticed until now that this objective was selected mere weeks after his appearance in the Void, and he'd been living it for almost his entire life.

Chase was his entire point of being. And without him?

What was the point of being here at all?


	24. Chapter 23

**~Groundlands~**

"Seán?! Oh thank  _God_ , what happened?!"

The Irishman sounded as if he was out of breath, huffing and puffing into the receiver as Mark listened intently. He'd called Seán back several times, never receiving a hint of his whereabouts, nor his safety. He'd reluctantly put down his phone at the insistence of Tyler, who had been trying to calm him down, when it had rung again.

"Fookin... a lot," Seán said, panting heavily. "Dark's gone,"

"He's... what, really?" Mark asked, dumbfounded. "How?!"

"Rode off into the sunset on a huge grey dog," Seán groaned. "Took a bunch of goats with him, but yeah, he's gone. Back to wherever the fook he came from, leaving me with a bunch of mess to deal with..."

"He likes to do that," Mark sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So he's gone? For sure? He's not bothering you anymore?"

Seán sighed once more into the receiver, static playing as the phone was jostled. "He was never bothering me, Mark."

"He  _literally_ -"

"Yes, Mark, I get it. I was there,"

"But-"

"Mark." Seán said with the air of finality. "Drop it. It's in the past- oh, hey... Yeah, we went out for coffee and he found his way back home. You sure you didn't want anything, I could-? Oh, okay... yeah sure, hang on-"

"Is Signe back?" Mark asked, noticing the shift in conversation. He wasn't expecting something that sounded like a sigh in return.

"Yeah, yeah she's back... I... we've decided to go our separate ways,"

"What?!" Mark yelped. "Now?! There  _literally_ couldn't be a worse time to-"

"I  _know_ , Mark," Seán said, sounding as though he was sitting down. "I know you're worried about me, but I'm-"

"Don't give me that!" Mark cried, startling Ethan out of his seat. Tyler held back a snort.

"Last time your girlfriend left you, you were really upset- don't you remember? You Skyped me every day for a month,"

"Yeah," Seán said, a little bitterly. "I did. I... I'll probably still do it, come to think of it. Especially with what's happened, and Cloak, and everything- we were gonna be talking a lot anyway. Maybe when I come to visit, I'll stay a little longer. Maybe I'll even get there earlier- there's not much to do here anyway..."

"I mean..." Mark swallowed. "I guess coming to LA for a week was far fetched anyway, you may as well be here for the full release. You sure you're alright? You don't want to talk-?"

"I've talked plenty," Seán cut him off. "I'm just really tired, Mark. I'm sorry-"

"Don't be sorry, get some rest," Mark urged through the phone. "You've been through way too much- call me when you wake up, I don't care what time it is."

"O-okay," Seán sighed. "See ya, Mark..."

The call ended, and Mark fell back with a sigh. It had been a rollercoaster of a few days- with the calendars, the Dark scenario, keeping on track of the uploads and keeping his health up to scratch. The last thing Mark wanted to do was to sit back down and record for tomorrow. He groaned aloud, knowing he had no excuse now that Seán was okay to be avoiding his responsibilities. The look that Tyler sent him only solidified it.

"Come on, don't make me do it..." Mark whined.

Tyler shook his head somewhat fondly. "This is the reason you pay me, remember? Get up and go for a jog or something- you look like death incarnate."

"Thanks, man," Mark grimaced, getting up anyway. A bout of exercise would do him some good after spending so long cooped up in that room. Get his mind off the ego business that was happening around him, haunting him despite how he tried to make light of it.

When Mark left, Tyler looked curiously at Ethan. If Dark and Warfstache were real, what about the other alter egos? Then, what about Ethan's? Jack's? Even his own alter ego, Xyler, who had come to life in the minds of Mark's fans?

"Hey, you think Blank is out there somewhere?" Tyler asked, observing Ethan twitching nervously in his seat. The 21 year old was never usually this jittery. It was probably the news that Darkiplier wasn't just some goofy character Mark had decided to bring to life one day- if Tyler hadn't seen the creepy man stalking Mark when they were younger, he'd have a hard time accepting that Dark was real, too.

"I'd normally say no, but now that I know Dark and Wilford are real, maybe he is. I just... I don't know what to say, Ty. What do you think?"

Tyler frowned in thought. "I don't think I'd want our alter egos to be real."

Ethan chuckled as he clicked away at a few effects, setting the video to render. "I don't think Mark wants them to be real either."

There was a pregnant pause.

"Are you scared?"

"Fucking terrified," Ethan admitted with a sigh, running his fingers nervously through his hair.

"Well, let's hope we never have to find out," Tyler suggested. Ethan nodded grimly, getting up from his seat and stretching his arms, walking cautiously to the kitchen.

The two had no way of knowing how real their fears actually were, but that's a story for another day.

**~Void~**

"Anti!"

Anti became aware of a dull throbbing sensation in his head, barely having heard Halter's cry as the fusion tackled his attacker to the ground. With shaking hands, Anti pulled the knife free from his chest, pain bleeding from the outside in as the wound began to heal over almost instantly. The weapon hadn't struck his heart- even if it had, Anti still wouldn't have died. It had punctured his right lung, but the sensation of blood leaking within him did nothing more than cause him discomfort.

He'd tried this before, with the same amount of success. But then, what hadn't he tried before?

"Who  _are_ you?!" Halter asked furiously, two hands holding the Psychiatrist's arms while the others wrestled with his enchanted gloves. "Why are you fighting us?!"

The Psychiatrist growled, his form wavering as if he was struggling to maintain his concentration. "Let me go, Phan! He killed the people I love the most!"

Halter stopped dead, his grip tightening. " _What_  did you call me?!"

The Psychiatrist's black eyes narrowed. "That's who you  _are_ , isn't it? Dan and Phil's relationship, given form? You look like them."

Halter grimaced, his hold on the other man weakening as he remembered just what he was. A mix of two people, two people who would never be able to love him and what he represented as much as they loved each other. His heart sank, momentarily forgetting that he was in the middle of a battle.

The Psychiatrist took this opportunity to break free of Halter's hold, but the four armed fusion persisted, refusing to let go of the magical gloves that were trying to get away from him. Anti scowled, getting to his feet and realising his knee had been dislocated in the fall. He popped it back into place, wincing at the small sliver of pain that tore up his spine.

Anti limped forward, plunging the knife he was carrying into the strange man's side, distracting him just long enough for Halter to get hold of his limbs again. The Psychiatrist shouted in alarm, but Halter seemed to have found new strength, gripping him tightly to the point where he wouldn't have been able to breathe. All four of Halter's eyes were murderous.

Something about the man seemed very familiar to Anti as he looked him over. Those dark eyes, the black clouds that seemed to emanate from him in waves, the scowl upon his face. Where had Anti seen that scowl before? Earlier, when Blaze and Daniel had stormed his house? When he'd split apart the flaming man to find...

It clicked.

"Daniel?" Anti sneered in realisation, finally recognising who the man really was. "It really is you, isn't it?  _Pathetic_. Fusion is just a cheap tactic to make weak demons stronger, you know. First Blaze, now  _this_? You must have a  _real_  inferiority complex,"

The Psychiatrist tried to lunge for Anti's throat, but he was too weak to overcome Halter's hold. The look in the taller fusion's eyes told Anti to do whatever he wanted to the demon before him. Somehow, revenge with permission made it all the more sweet.

"And who is it you've roped into joining you on this adventure?" Anti hummed, taking in the appearance of the fusion before him, looking past the obvious traits that Daniel brought to the fray. The dark hair, the blue shirt, the doctor's coat that trailed out under him, and the latex gloves- they all pointed to one person.

Anti cocked his head. "Dr. Iplier? I never took you to be the type to fuse with someone other than your boyfriend."

Tears rolled from the fusion's eyes as he fell back, suddenly seeming to give up on escape. When he opened his eyes again, they were troubled, angry, and brown. "You killed him..."

"I didn't," Anti sighed, staring pitifully at the fusion. "It was Yan. But thank you for having  _so_  much faith in my cold heart, Doc. Would you rather I kill you together or apart?"

With that, the Psychiatrist seemed to melt away, leaving behind two separate bodies- both bleeding profusely from their left side. Halter struggled to hold them, keeping his grip tightly on the demon but being unable to stop the doctor from rolling aside.

 **"What are you doing?!"**  Daniel seethed, trying to reach for the fusion's other component.  **"We can beat him if we stay together!"**

Dr. Iplier paid him no mind, staring, shocked at Anti. The glitch raised an eyebrow, flicking his knife across his palm in warning.

"It was Yan?" Dr. Iplier choked, collapsing to his knees from blood loss, one hand gripping his wound and the other pushing his hair away from his face. "Yan killed him?"

"It doesn't matter now," Anti spat. "He's dead too. Everyone's dead, because  _you_  brought them here,"

"I..." Dr. Iplier started, but faltered on his words. He looked around, seeing the carnage and horror around them. Google had fallen a few feet away, his right arm torn from his body and his torso dented terribly, apparently unconscious. Beside him, Silver Shepherd and Ed Edgar were scooping up the more obvious pieces of metal that surrounded the android, throwing scared glances in Anti's direction. Jackieboy was knocked out, and the Jim twins were standing away from the scene, camera set up and filming.

Everyone else was either dead or gone.

Dr. Iplier closed his eyes, not noticing he'd been sobbing his heart out onto the creased folds of his coat until the damp mixed with the blood pouring profusely from the stab wound in his side, and he was reminded just how much he'd put at stake by going on this suicide mission. It's not what he'd wanted.

_It's not what Henrik would have wanted..._

"Shit," Dr. Iplier uttered. "Damn it..."

Anti contemplated killing him, just in spite of the misunderstanding, but something inside him held him back. Yes, he'd been hurt by the fusion of Dr. Iplier and that insufferable demon, but the doctor had been hurt before that. Anti hated that he understood, that he felt  _empathy_  for the shuddering man in front of him, knowing that nobody showed him such kindness when he was suffering from his own heartbreak.

"Get out of here," Anti hissed, turning away.

"W-what?" Dr. Iplier asked, seemingly not understanding. Anti gritted his teeth.

"Get out of my sight, Iplier. Don't make me hurt you."

**"I'd advise that you do as he says,"**

Anti turned, shocked, panic rising in his stomach. He should have known Dark wouldn't let him get away with this- he didn't know why the man hadn't come to finish Anti sooner, come to think of it. He'd always prevented Anti from harming the other egos when he grew too dangerous, why would today have been any different?

"Well?" Dark repeated, his voice having returned to normal. "Do I have to repeat myself again, comrades?"

"Dark, you're back!" Silver sighed in relief. Dark held out his hand, glaring at the survivors.

"I expected better of you than to get involved in a petty little war, Silver. That applies to all of you. Now get back to the manor and organise yourselves forthwith, before I do it for you."

None of the egos seemed to want to chance it.

Everyone but Halter, Daniel, Dark and Anti had vacated the scene within seconds. Halter's eyes met Anti's, alarmed, when Dark approached them.

"I see we have a new fusion," Dark noted, looking him over. "What is your name?"

"He's Halter," Anti interjected, knowing firsthand how much the mention of his real name bothered him, and Halter seemed to calm down slightly. He nodded.

Dark smiled as if he hadn't just threatened several of his brethren, offering to shake one of Halter's hands. When the fusion eyed Daniel worriedly, Dark shook his head.

"Let him go, friend. He won't dare attack while I am here,"

Halter reluctantly let the demon go, watching as Daniel dissipated into the nonexistent air around them. Anti didn't really care where he went, having eyes only for Dark, and the conversation that was evolving between the man and Anti's newest friend.

"It is nice to meet you," Dark smiled warmly. "Would you like to join the others in the manor whilst I tend to this unfortunate turn of events?"

Halter once again met Anti's eyes with worry, and Anti understood why. He wouldn't exactly be celebrated amongst the survivors.

"If they raise a hand to you, I will know," Dark said. "It will only be for a short while, I promise you."

"Are you going to hurt Anti?" Halter asked, and Anti's eyes widened. This entire time, when Anti had thought Halter was worried for himself, had the fusion really only been concerned about the glitch?

It warmed his heart to have someone put his needs above their own. Anti had missed this feeling of belonging to something greater than his own selfish wants.

Dark shook his head. "I don't plan on harming him, Halter- nor do I intend on allowing him to harm himself. You need not worry."

With one last meaningful look, Halter walked away in the direction the rest of the egos had scrambled in. Anti felt a little unnerved by how isolated he and Dark had become in the last few moments. Now, there was nobody else to turn to but Anti himself, and the glitch hated the suspense.

"What are you waiting for?" Anti asked, glaring at the demon when Dark didn't make a move towards him. "Just get it over with,"

"Get what over with, Anti?" Dark questioned, cocking his head to the side. Without his signature suit, he looked less threatening, but the glitch wasn't going to let that fool him. He'd seen Dark take down several entities, demons and egos alike, and the demon was definitely dangerous, no matter what he wore. Anti would not give in to his childish urge to hug the man- they once may have been close, but now that was  _definitely_ inappropriate.

"Kill me already, so I can get back to living alone in peace," Anti sighed, brushing some hair aside from the nape of his neck. "How do you want to do it this time? Do you want to decapitate me? Do you want to knife me in the gut and leave me to bleed out again? Come on, hurry up."

Dark frowned, inching ever closer. Anti could feel the cool aura against his skin, shivering slightly and folding his arms. He looked at his feet, fighting the desire to stare into Dark's glimmering eyes.

"I was not lying to your friend, Antithesis," Dark muttered softly, the hairs on Anti's neck standing up as he remembered spending long days by the demon's side, the only words being exchanged through whispers.

"I don't intend to bring you harm anymore. I've come to the conclusion that... that violence isn't the only answer. It has pained me greatly to fight with you, my dear. I only wish to talk with you, and achieve mutual understanding..."

Anti let out a breath, tears gathering unwittingly in his eyes, feeling Dark's hands reach out and touch his shoulders. He shrunk away reluctantly, wanting nothing more than to collapse in Dark's arms and scream about every injustice, every fight, every emotion he hadn't been able to express in the last two years.

"Darling, please... I want you to feel safe around me. Do you remember when we spent our lazy days playing poker by the fire? When you'd fall asleep in my arms, and Wilford would tease you? When he wanted to take you away, but I wouldn't let you be ruined by his bad habits and wanton desires? Did you feel protected then?"

Anti shivered, remembering everything Dark had just recounted, clear as day. Yes, he'd felt protected. He'd felt home, and happy, and loved. Those words sounded so alien to him that Anti had forgotten he even knew what they'd felt like, once upon a time.

Before Anti knew it, Dark's arms had encompassed him, and the demon was holding him tightly as if he was afraid Anti would recoil. Anti burrowed his face in the soft fabric covering Dark's shoulder, tentatively allowing his arms to rest on Dark's lower back. They'd hugged many times in the past- sometimes brief, sometimes lingering, but Anti felt he'd forgotten how.

"I... I can hear the inner turmoil of your mind, Anti. I won't discredit your worry, but I'd like to tell you that I never hated you, no matter what drivel your head is spinning against you. Quite the opposite, in fact..."

Anti's heart leaped out of his chest, but he fought his brief surge of joy down. Dark wasn't insinuating what Anti was aching for, after all. Demons cannot learn to love...

_But what of Daniel, then?_

Okay, Anti had to admit that Daniel was feeling some shit, and even  _that_ shouldn't be possible for a demon.

But it was ridiculous to entertain the hope that Dark would love him just as much as he loved Dark. Why should Dark love him? Anti had been nothing but a literal pain in everyone's side, and it wasn't just his mind spinning that truth.

"You were, and continue to be the most important person to me," Dark whispered, his cool breath sending shivers down Anti's spine as it hit the skin of his neck. "And that, I can say with confidence. Even if I cannot say that I love you with every fiber of my being, there are parts of me that want nothing more than to hold you, and hug you, and kiss you, and call you my own... until now, I let that part of me sit idle. But I want to let him out, now. I want to show you just how much you mean to me, Antithesis."

Anti didn't want to process what had just happened- his mind was still reeling from hearing Dark say 'I love you', no matter what context it had been presented in. Because Anti had wanted nothing more than to hear those words, ever since that fateful day when the Host had ruined his hopes of a platonic, normal friendship.

Anti let out a small sob, gripping Dark tightly through his jumper, breathing in the scent of sweet perfume and fine wine that followed the demon wherever he went. Dark held him close, his soft hair brushing against Anti's cheeks, and the Void around them simply ceased to matter.

"I cannot lie to you, my dear. You aren't the pure soul I once envisioned you to be- you and I both know it. You've killed, you've hurt people, and you've hurt yourself doing so. Misguided and angry as you were, there is no excuse for what you've done to them, but it is not my right to punish you. After all, that would be quite hypocritical. For every murder you've committed, I've orchestrated thousands. For every friend you've lost, I've betrayed dozens. We aren't perfect, but... if I'm honest, nobody is..."

Anti breathed in slowly, losing himself in the circles that Dark was now rubbing into his back, closing his tired eyes for the first time in what seemed like months. There was nobody here to hurt him, nobody coming to exact revenge. Even his own mind was quiet for once, allowing him to appreciate fully just how much he'd missed being held like this.

"I know that you are amicable, my sweet," Dark spoke after a few long moments of comfortable silence. "But still... I'd like to hear it aloud. It would soothe some part of me that yearns for confirmation. I want to give this another try, another  _serious_  try..."

"Yes," Anti croaked, coughing slightly when the strangled words left his mouth. "Yes, of course... I want to, but-"

"Anti," Dark interrupted, smiling wider than Anti had seen him smile in years. "Hush now..."

He wasn't prepared for the kiss that Dark proceeded to plant on his lips, but he sure as Hell wasn't complaining. It was slow, and sweet, and Anti was afraid to move at first, but found himself relaxing and finding a rhythm, allowing him to appreciate the way their noses bumped together, the intimacy of the embrace filling him with warmth and a tingly, happy feeling. When Dark finally pulled away, looking nervously into Anti's eyes, the glitch couldn't help but bring him in for another. Then another. Eventually, he forgot the denial that had been on the tip of his tongue.

He'd missed this, long before he even had it.

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

"The Host decides to keep the following paragraphs of affectionate touching private, instead focusing his narration on the equally important and evermore troubling tale of the android and the lonesome father, which was currently reaching its climax."

The Host's cheeks had reddened considerably after being compelled to explain the sensation of Anti's first kiss, because the thoughts and emotions running through the glitch's head were hardly PG-13 and despite being in a room with several quote unquote 'adults', Host didn't feel entirely comfortable speaking them aloud. Not that many people were listening to him- only Robbie and Wilford, who seemed to be the only one not panicking about Chase.

Wilford was listening more intently than he'd ever done in the past, a wide grin splitting his cheeks as he chortled out an "It's about bloody time,". He didn't seem at all concerned about the fact that his boyfriend wasn't speaking to him, or that Chase could literally fade from existence in seconds before his eyes.

The Host supposed that he shouldn't expect more from the delusional mustached man.

"Jameson continued to compress Chase's chest as he attempted to give the ego CPR, hoping to cure his state of asphyxiation to no avail. Bing stared at the situation unfolding with sadness in his emotionless eyes, his optics growing increasingly more waterlogged and his joints stuttering with worry, wishing that the man he had come to love would awaken so that he could confess his irrational and confusing feelings to the source of his deviation."

"Please, Chase, we need you here..." Bing muttered softly, too low for anyone else to hear. He brushed Chase's hair to one side, observing a slight discolouration of the skin on his forehead. Bing had always assumed it to be a birthmark, but knowing what he did now...

_That must be the entrance wound..._

When Jameson pulled back, eyes streaming with silent tears and lips slightly chapped from so much breathing, Bing's rational brain collapsed.

"No," Bing breathed, grip on Chase's hand tightening. " _No_ , he can't..."

He picked up Chase's body, feeling his faint heartbeat but knowing that something must be wrong if Jameson had stopped trying to bring Chase back. The room was silent around them as Bing cradled Chase in his arms, tracing a small bald patch on the back of the ego's skull where he knew a bullet had broken through once before. He hadn't been there to stop Chase from dying in his life, and he wasn't even able to stop him from dying this time around.

"Please, please wake up..." Bing urged, his optic fluids pooling on Chase's stiff shoulders. Chase's small breaths hit the base of Bing's neck, but he couldn't feel anything as he held on tightly, not wanting to let go.

Bing didn't know what caused it. What made Chase suddenly begin to choke, forcing out copious amounts of blood and saliva from his lips, but he would be forever thankful that it had happened when it did. Bing couldn't care less about how dirty and disgusting his shirt was becoming, he only cared about the fact that Chase was  _alive_  and  _breathing_  and Bing was able to  _save_  him...

Chase coughed loudly, heaving, holding on tightly to Bing's arms to steady himself as crimson began to stream from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away with disgust in his pale blue eyes, looking up to see Bing in a state of relieved shock.

"B-Bing?" Chase rasped, one hand gingerly feeling his bruised neck. "That y-you? Damn, you got even h-hotter..."

Bing let out a nervous sounding chuckle, ignoring several warning signs as he moved forward, capturing Chase's reddened lips in a desperate kiss. Bing felt nothing, but the look of stunned bliss that overcame Chase's features was enough to make all of this worth it.

     

Chase's eyes closed, and he deepened the kiss, ignoring the tightness around his throat until he couldn't go on without breathing. Shakily, he forced himself away, gulping in some stray oxygen that was floating around from before.

"Bro..." Chase breathed, forehead pressed against Bing's, their noses touching softly.

"I like...  _like_  you, bro," Bing admitted, curling his fingers protectively around the ego's own.

"The Host is growing annoyed with the amount of cliche kisses that are coming to fruition around him," Host sighed, fingers playing idly with Robbie's hair as the zombie relaxed in the crook between his shoulder and his chest. "It is almost as if he is part of a cheesy romance novel, he thinks to himself, as Robbie shifts and presses-"

The Host was interrupted by Robbie kissing him ever so softly on the corner of his mouth, lips trailing down until he rested his head calmly on the blind man's chest, smiling contently.

Host immediately turned bright red, sinking further into the sofa and attempting to hide the rest of his face beneath his bandages, to no avail. Luckily, only Robbie was watching, and everyone else was now too busy celebrating Chase's return to consciousness to pay him any mind.

"The Host knows that Robbie did that just to spite him," Host sighed, hands on his cheeks, attempting to hide his blush.

Robbie snorted under his breath, crawling atop Host's lap and leaning forward, kissing him sweetly. After a few seconds, Host began to kiss back, their embrace chaste and pure. The two egos couldn't help but smile when they pulled away, touches lingering, and somehow Robbie sank into a dreary daze while he lay there. Host intertwined their fingers softly, humming the next few events to himself so that he wouldn't awaken the zombie. Host never saw the point of relationship drama. Of defining the things you and your significant other did in their spare time, or questioning a sexuality, or sleeping with a man who very obviously didn't know how to love you in return.

     

Host much preferred this to anything he'd seen in his fellow egos. This calm that hung over he and Robbie, simply enjoying each other for what they were, instead of what they were meant to be as defined by society's ingrained standards.

He reluctantly brought his thoughts back to the main plot, though he so dearly wished that he could linger on the peaceful narrative that was he and Robbie's flexible and ever-evolving relationship. He knew that despite the uplifting mood that most of the egos now sported, there were complications that needed to be addressed before they grew too comfortable in their post-war euphoria.

What would Dark tell them about the truth behind he and Anti's newly formed truce? Where had the demon vanished to in the first place? What of the people who lost their loved ones in this war for peace?

The Host knew the answers were coming. But before that, the egos reluctantly had to leave and seek out the manor.

Once there, the story would come to its close, and a new chapter would be made. The Host was only certain of one thing- though Dark and Anti seemed to be bridging the gap between them, the cliffs of their angst were too far apart for a simple bridge to handle the weight. If they didn't treat their newfound passion with care, they would fall apart like a cheap suit.

Host only hoped that it would never come to that.


	25. Chapter 24

**~Void~**

"I've noticed that your house is gone," Dark said to Anti, looking at the remnants of the Void around him. "Unless, you've made such a drastic change to it as this..."

Anti met his gaze and gave a half-hearted snort. "That's Halter's place, you're right. I wouldn't be caught dead with that roof."

"It's... an interesting form of architecture," Dark commented, and Anti could feel his cold fingertips on Anti's wrist. The glitch moved a little closer so that their fingers entwined, feeling shivers run up his arm. It was a nice kind of cool on his slightly bloodied hands.

Anti snickered beneath his breath, remembering the moment he'd first questioned keeping Halter's company. "He calls it 'modern art'."

"Should I assume you would like to remain living here, alongside him?" Dark asked softly.

Anti met his eyes, puzzled. "Why wouldn't I? Where else would I... oh..."

Dark bit his lip, eyes brightening with hope. Anti just couldn't say no to that. But still, he didn't exactly know if he should say yes... mere moments ago, he'd been the outcast, right? Was he still the outcast? Dark certainly didn't seem to think so, but then, Anti had never known what was going on in the demon's head.

"I mean- I'd love to come and live in the manor again, but... everyone hates me,  _for real_  this time. I know you don't- somehow, but think of the others," Anti sighed in defeat. "Wilford's the only one who won't immediately try to kill me- which is kind of ironic, considering he's... him."

"Nobody will hurt you under my roof," Dark said lowly. "From this moment forward, you are under my protection, do you hear me? That applies whether you decide to live with us or not. I have not been blind to the blatant prejudice against you in the last two years, my sweet. I know that you deserve better than you seem to believe,"

"But..." Anti tried to protest, coming up short of words. Dark was going to shoot him down anyway, he always had. Whether Anti had been feeling insecure or attacked, Dark never tolerated him speaking so negatively about himself or the others.

Dark raised an eyebrow. "I won't be offended if you say no, Anti. You are allowed to tell me whatever you want, after all. I would just appreciate it to be the truth, as I am able to tell when you're lying..."

Anti swallowed. He'd forgotten, somehow, that Dark could read his mind. That meant that the demon could definitely hear all of his insecurities, all of his doubts, all of his fears. But at the same time, Anti was bursting with excitement. It had been so long since he'd been to the manor- he'd really missed the place, wandering around the endless halls, playing hide and seek with Wilford when he was fairly young- the only things seeming to hold him back were the presence of the other egos, and the fear of overstepping an unspoken boundary while he was there.

He'd spent the last two years in exile from the people he'd loved, and he didn't know if he'd be able to cope if that happened again. He'd only just gotten back on Dark's good side, and he wasn't ready to give that up just yet.

"You do not have to make a decision quite yet," Dark supplied, squeezing Anti's hand in a reassuring manner. "But if you are amicable, I'd like you to accompany me there, at least for today. Don't mention this to the others, but... they're possibly even more high maintenance than you are,"

Anti couldn't help but smile at that. He was scared- positively terrified of the way he'd be treated in someone else's territory, but it seemed to click that this wasn't just anyone's place. It was  _Dark's_. Dark, the demon who had taken him in when he was younger. The one who decided to grant him mercy instead of killing him for all of the crimes he'd committed. The one who'd kissed him moments earlier, who'd spilled out his apparent emotional baggage, who'd made Anti feel as if he was really  _wanted_...

"Did you want me to frighten them into line for you?" Anti asked, half joking but half serious, his free hand still grasping his blade.

Dark chuckled. "I was more hinting that you were much better company, but of course, you can scare them however you see fit. You are as welcome as they are in my manor, Anti. Possibly even more,"

Anti's heart warmed from the inside out, and he leaned subconsciously into Dark's shoulder as they began to walk.

"Can we..." Anti started, biting his lip. Somehow, though it had been mere minutes, he was already missing the intimacy of kissing Dark. Would this make things awkward? No, surely not. It hadn't made anything awkward before. Right?

His thoughts did nothing to soothe Anti's fear of rejection as Dark smiled, leaned in, and pecked him on the lips softly. Unbeknownst to Anti, Dark had wanted a reprise of their earlier embrace as well, and was simply waiting for a sign that the glitch wanted it too. Anti positively melted at the touch, and Dark tittered as fresh blood began to run down the glitch's neck- was he really so excited?

Dark supposed he was excited as well. They could have a future together- he and Anti, like they'd never been able to before. Now that the initial gap was bridged, Dark could feel himself falling. It wasn't just Damien now, not just a nagging urge to scoop the glitch up and kiss him every so often. Every patch of skin, every nerve fiber, every part of him wanted to explore and protect and nurture Anti, and he was scared.

It seemed his entire world had fallen onto its head in his absence, but would Dark change it?

No, the demon decided. He ran his fingertips from Anti's jaw to his neck, the gasp Anti let loose sending shivers through him. This ego was going to be the death of him, he could tell.

"I will have to get the doctor to try stitching you up," Dark breathed, smearing away the blood and observing the deep knife wound that had somehow refused to heal over all this time. Anti hissed in pain, but Dark got the feeling that his fingers weren't as unwelcome as they should be. He traced the edge of the cut until Anti had to close his eyes, breaths shallow and lips parted, something akin to bliss spreading across his features.

Dark smirked. "We'll have to experiment with that later, Anti..."

Anti flushed bright red, but didn't recoil as Dark kissed him again, then again, the young ego slowly gaining the confidence to kiss him back.

_ 'Is this everything you'd hoped it would be?' _

_'Why exactly are you letting this happen?'_

_ 'I was curious to see how you'd react, brother. It isn't unwelcome, is it?' _

_'You don't really want him at all... I suppose I should be glad,'_

_ 'No, but you  _ do _ , Damien. And I'm... I'm willing to let you try this. I want you to be happy, I really do.' _

_'You'd be willing to be faithful to him, even if you disagree with what he does? Even if you're bored, and you decide that Will is a decent substitute? Even if you and I get into a fight, and you want to do something horrendous just to spite me?'_

_ 'Your only concern is that he would feel unwelcome in this relationship? Are you really not worried about your own happiness?' _

_'As long as he's happy, I'll be happy. I love him with all my heart, Celine, I don't want this to end in tears...'_

_ 'I can tell. You... you haven't been this nervous since the election, Damien. I promise you, I'll try to let you do what you feel is best here...' _

_'Thank you, Celine. I... I truly appreciate it...'_

Eventually, the couple stopped stalling and finally began to walk towards the manor, mentally preparing themselves for the backlash their new relationship would get from their peers. Though they'd all trusted Dark immediately upon their arrival in the Void, nobody had quite taken to Anti in the same way. Would their faithfulness to Dark waver with this news?

_ 'Besides, he's definitely not unattractive,' _

Dark smiled at his lover, hardly believing that this could all be so simple. He could have had this, all those years ago, before Anti's hair turned a shocking green, before that ever-bleeding fountain split across his throat. If he hadn't been so scared of himself and his feelings, who knows where they might have ended up?

_'Yes, he's quite beautiful,'_

_ 'You're whipped.' _

_'I'm not ashamed to admit that fact,'_

"You know, Anti," Dark spoke, watching as Anti's soft green eyes met his own. "If you were to stay at the manor, I could kiss you whenever you wanted,"

Anti, if possible, turned even redder. "I... I'd like that,"

Dark simply chuckled once more, squeezing Anti's fingers in his palm. "Myself as well."

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

Septiplier was nervous. He and the others who had refused to fight were walking towards the manor, having received word via The Host that Dark had finally returned. He was in the lead, one of his arms supporting Chase, who was still having trouble walking after being resuscitated. On Chase's other side was Bing, who didn't seem at all worried that he was covered in several disgusting bodily fluids. Septiplier knew he was technically a robot, but Bing was never a typical machine- how could he stand feeling so... gross? The fact that he was putting his own needs aside to care for Chase simply solidified that there was something wrong with his robotic responses, so why wouldn't self care be included in his strange new habits?

It might be gross, but Septiplier supposed it was romantic in its own weird way. He guessed he'd never really understand those two. Maybe he'd never understand romance at all.

Behind him were the stragglers- Bim, who was avoiding Wilford's gaze as if the mustached man were Medusa. King, who was having a hushed conversation with Kinkiplier, who seemed to be gagging himself unnecessarily again.

Honestly, the man was a menace. Wilford had had a field day when Kinkiplier arrived in the Void last November.

Speak of the devil, Wilford was practically skipping with joy, the only thing holding him back from running ahead being Host's narration. Septiplier supposed that Host was saying something that Wilford really wanted to hear- the mustached man never really had time for The Host otherwise. On the other side, somewhat neglected, were the other Septiceyes- Jameson, Tickler, Powers, and Robbie. Tickler and Powers seemed to be having a conversation, while Robbie and Jameson were silent as they shambled forth.

Septiplier didn't know if Dark was going to be very pleased with any of them. Many egos had faded in his absence- and none of them had done anything to stop it. If there was one thing Dark was convinced about, it was the notion that they were a family. The Ipliers, the Septiceyes, the straggling egos in between. Even the oddities like Anti and Septiplier were considered part of the expanding group, and with the way he had charmed everyone before, Septiplier was convinced Phil might have been part of it, too.

Family doesn't plot against family. And not only Anti, but the others had broken that unspoken rule without any hesitation. Surely Dark would want to punish them, just as he would punish Anti...

They reached the manor, opening the door and looking inside. It was as if nothing had changed- everything was the way it was just before the manor vanished with Dark, even the mess they'd left the dining hall in at Septiplier's birthday party. There were hushed voices coming from the lounge, and Septiplier walked in to see something that somehow made no sense but all the sense in the world at the same time.

Google was armless. He was propped up against the wall in a makeshift restraint as Dr. Iplier looked him carefully over. Septiplier, while having heard the news, still squeaked uncomfortably at the sight of him. Dried blue blood clung to the sides of his body and he regarded the newcomers with a painfully neutral expression. Septiplier didn't know if that was good or bad.

By his side was Ed Edgar, who seemed to be rattling off something to do with stocks, and Silver Shepherd, who was ranting about injustices to Jackieboy Man. Jackie had a large, swollen lump on his head and his hood was pulled back, his mask knocked astray. The superhero didn't seem to care about his appearance either as he continued to listen to his alien friend, glancing occasionally at the door. Septiplier supposed he was waiting for Dark.

Dr. Iplier grunted in frustration, leaving the room with a stagger in his steps. Septiplier flinched as he heard a door slam upstairs, wincing when Google merely blinked in response. Somehow, the android seemed even more lifeless like this. He was about to follow the doctor.

Then, Septiplier saw someone that made his heart skip a beat.

The man smiled as he walked over, his curly black hair bouncing slightly and his two pairs of almond shaped eyes blinking curiously. The shirt he wore was plaid, but half black and half red. Two hands were held out, ready to shake Septiplier's, while two more fidgeted nervously with each other. He wore a pair of black skinny jeans and some Vans, and stood overall about five inches taller than Septiplier.

The fusion didn't know what to say. He was speechless, but not in a bad way. Surprised, relieved, and excited, so much so that when his own hands reached out in response, he was shaking. Following Dr. Iplier was the last thing on his mind.

"You must be Septiplier," the other fusion said, and  _whoa_. He sounded like Phil, but posh, and his voice seemed to echo slightly around the room. Septiplier had never met someone else who had two distinct tones rolled into one, though his own were much more noticeably different.

"I, uh, yep, that's me," Septiplier flushed. The fusion before him broke into a deep, reverberating giggle, and  _shit, I might be in love_.

"I'm Halter," he greeted. "Anti's told me all about you- I've never met another fusion before,"

"Me neither," Septiplier agreed, suddenly very aware of how still his hands were. The inescapable need to fidget with something overcame him, so he settled for crinkling the hem of his blue jumper. "I... I've never been shorter than someone before, it's weird..."

Halter grinned in response.

Before Septiplier could stutter out another sentence, the door flew open again. Everyone's eyes darted to the entrance, where Dark and Anti stood, hands entwined. Septiplier hoped that meant what he thought it did- especially when they were younger, the amount of romantic tension between those two was insane.

Anti didn't look good. He was covered in blood, his hair was ruffled and dirty, and his eyes had deep bags underneath them. This wasn't the happy, smiling Anti he had once known.

But still, somehow, Septiplier wasn't scared.

Jackieboy opened his mouth to say something, but the glare Dark shot him was enough to make even the bravest superhero run for the hills. The message was clear:  _back off, or I'll hurt you like you've never been hurt before._

Septiplier wasn't going to test Dark's patience, and he was willing to bet that none of the other egos wanted to take that risk either.

Wilford moved first, sauntering up to the two newcomers with a wide grin and crushing Anti in a hug. Anti smiled somewhat meekly in return, wrapping his own bloodied arms around the mustached man, a small squeak leaving his mouth when Wilford lifted him up in celebration.

"Anti, m'boy!" Wilford called happily, earning several incredulous looks from the other egos. "Finally come to join us again, eh? We've missed you, old chap!"

"Missed you too, Will," Anti agreed, though he seemed a lot more comfortable when his feet were on the ground again. Septiplier couldn't hold it any longer.

"Anti?"

Anti's eyes met his, widening in disbelief. "Septiplier?! You're alive?!"

Septiplier wasn't prepared for the mass of glitchy ego that came pummeling towards him, knocking him off his feet. Two of his arms shot out to catch Anti, the other two stopping his back from hitting the floor and supporting them as the two egos hugged. Septiplier hadn't seen Anti in two years, two painfully long years. He took solace in the fact that Anti seemed to have missed him just as much.

"Alive? Of course I'm alive," Septiplier said, though there was an edge of sorrow in his tone. "Who said I wasn't?"

"The fans," Anti supplied, giving him one more squeeze around the middle. "They've called you dead for years, I-I thought..."

"Shh, I'm here," Septiplier soothed, reluctantly letting the ego out of his arms. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

Anti snorted through his happy tears. "Neither am I,"

"Seriously?" Jackie asked, though the question was more directed at Dark than at Anti. The glitch opened his mouth to say something witty, but it seemed that Dark had other ideas.

The demon's eyes turned pitch black and the next thing Anti knew, Jackie was pressed against the wall by a dark cloud, arms and legs immobile. The room fell silent, and Anti knew that everyone was watching. Somehow, that seemed like Dark's intention.

"Is there a problem with that?" Dark sneered, the hair that was free from his hood waving with energy.

"He's a murderer!" Jackie yelped. "Of course I have a problem with him coming back!"

Dark tsked, the clouds around Jackie's limbs darkening further. "Let me rephrase that.  ** _Do you think your opinion matters to me?_** "

Jackie whimpered slightly, looking anywhere but into the pits of darkness that were glaring back at him.

Dark let go of the superhero, letting him fall into a crumpled heap on the ground. Anti knew that Dark wouldn't seriously hurt him- though the prick deserved it- and had no doubt that Jackie had nothing more than a few bruises. Yet Silver ran over to tend to him, panicking, and Dark surveyed the room.

**"Listen, all of you. This is** **_my_ ** **residence, and you are merely my** **_guests_ ** **. None of you have a say in who comes and who goes. I've been lenient with you for far too long, egos- I demand that as long as you reside here, you respond to my commands, and this is but the first of** **_many_ ** **. Anti is as welcome here as any of you, and you are to treat him as such. I** **_will_ ** **know if you are breaking this rule."**

"Couldn't ye have found someone less psycho to stick yer dick in?" Ed Edgar questioned, arms crossed in his lap.

Anti flushed, but Dark's glare only intensified.

**"The second rule of the house is that my business remains mine alone unless I see fit to share it. The same goes for Anti, and for all of you. I will not tolerate rumors or cruel words at anyone's expense,** **_am I understood?_ ** **"**

Nobody else wanted to speak out. The room was filled with disgruntled nodding, and many of them still stared intently at Anti. The glitch, if possible, felt even  _more_  unwelcome here after Dark's little proclamation. Fear gripped his insides and he stood, suddenly feeling that coming here was a very bad idea.

"I... I should probably go," Anti sighed, helping Septiplier up. "Halter?"

The other fusion blinked in surprise, wringing his hands together nervously.

"Um... actually, Anti, I was thinking I might... stay a while," Halter said, catching Septiplier's eyes. The older fusion blushed, hiding his face in his hands, but the movement fooled no one. After all, they were the only two of their kind here. It made sense that they'd want to hang out.

"Please, Anti... you don't have to leave," Dark said, walking over to them and placing his hand delicately on the glitch's shoulder. It wasn't anything Anti wasn't used to, but everyone else in the room did a double take. Dark was  _never_ this kind to  _anyone,_ save for Wilford sometimes.

"I..." Anti started, but Dark held a finger to his lips.

"Will you meet me in my quarters?" Dark muttered.

Anti nodded, biting his lip nervously. "O-okay, I'll wait for you..."

Anywhere was better than here.

Before the glitch could take his leave, Dark held him back. The demon pressed a comforting kiss to Anti's temple, ignoring the other occupants of the room as their expressions grew surprised and confused, then it seemed to dawn on them. Blank looks were replaced with anger and outrage, but Dark wasn't inclined to care. He only hoped Anti could share the same sentiment.

Though Dark knew Anti didn't want the extra attention, he could also tell that his parting embrace had soothed the ego. He smiled as Anti left, gesturing for Wilford to follow, but the mustached man was already gone.

Dark supposed he shouldn't keep Anti to himself, though he so desperately wanted to. It simply wasn't fair on the old timers- they all missed the glitch, and though Dark hated to be apart from him, he knew that Anti would want to spend time with his old friends.

His cold heart hadn't ached this way in a long time.

"Wait, are you two actually together now?" Septiplier asked quietly, unsure if he was crossing a line.

Dark paid no mind to the listening egos, figuring he may as well take pride in his new relationship while he could. It wasn't as if they had discussed it, but Dark knew Anti didn't really care if the others knew about them. He nodded, taking some pleasure in the horrified gasps of some of the other egos.

"Yes, we are," Dark affirmed, unable to stop the grin spreading across his features.

Septiplier cheered and high five-d himself. "Yes! I was so sick of you two undressing each other with your eyes!"

Halter snorted aloud, and the other egos suddenly remembered he was there. They simply weren't used to this new company yet. Dark nodded the fusion's way and smiled.

"I'll leave you two alone now. I must converse with the doctor."

As he stood, Dark glared once more at the troublesome egos. " **If any of you were wondering, the second rule now applies. What you saw before you today is just a teaser. You do not want to violate these terms, am I** ** _clear_** **?"**

Dark smiled contently at the hurried nods of those who had scoffed at him moments before. Though he was now living his life free of evil, it was still incredibly satisfying when others were intimidated by him. 

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

"I can find his room by myself, you know," Anti huffed, cheeks still a little red from Dark's goodbye kiss. And in front of everyone, too! Anti had always hated the teasing, but what kind of new material would they come up with now?

Wilford frowned, moving from the stairway to face Anti. "I know you can, chap, I just wanted to say hello! So does Jameson!"

"Who?" Anti questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. He didn't recognise the name. He felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned to find... oh.  _Oh_.

"Oh,  _you're_  Jameson..." Anti concluded. The man before him was almost his exact clone, except for his slightly blue-r hair and his gentlemanly attire. Jameson smiled cheerily, waving exaggeratedly. Anti raised an eyebrow.

"Uh... Hi?"

"He's a quiet fellow," Wilford explained, sauntering over and resting his arm on Jameson's shoulder. The Septiceye rolled his eyes and nodded, but still didn't look quite happy with how close Wilford was getting to him.

"I see," Anti noted, observing the pair. Wilford never acted this love-y dove-y with  _anyone_ \- as far as Anti knew, the man was just a player. "Are you two...?"

Jameson made some complicated hand movement, while Wilford grinned in response. Anti didn't know what to believe.

"Why yes, we are indeed," Wilford chuckled. Despite how reluctant Jameson seemed, the quiet man smiled all the same. He nodded.

"Never thought you'd settle down, congratulations," Anti smirked. "And you too, uh... brother?"

Jameson positively beamed with happiness, pulling Anti in for a hug. Anti didn't respond at first- he'd never hugged another Septiceye before, and the sensation was strangely different to hugging an Iplier like Wilford, or Dark. Eventually he warmed up to it though, and gave the man what he wanted. Anti didn't know quite what to make of this new brother- he didn't seem arrogant  _or_  overbearing. Maybe he was just too nice.

"How old are you?" Anti asked curiously.

Jameson held up seven fingers proudly.

"He arrived here last Halloween," Wilford supplied. "He wasn't... quite the spook we were hoping for,"

"That's right,"

Three heads whipped around to see King of the Squirrels ascending, acorns spilling from his pockets and tumbling down the stairs.

"Last time we got a spooky ego was way back when we got Google,"

"Hey Squirrels," Anti greeted with a sigh. This was an ego he hadn't particularly missed. "Still leaving your nuts around in the hallways?"

King winked. "Always, Anti, always."

Anti groaned aloud. "Great."

King shrugged away the sarcasm and walked over. "Sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to Wilford."

Jameson shot him an understanding look that Anti didn't know what to make of. When Wilford and King left, Anti looked at Jameson curiously.

"What's that about?"

Jameson shook his head and shrugged. Anti didn't need to know sign language to know that Jameson just didn't think Anti should be in on it. Anti rubbed the back of his neck nervously, wondering if Dark would be upset if he got blood on the carpet- his neck hadn't been able to seal itself and though the blood loss was small, Anti was beginning to feel faint.

Between losing the battle, Dark's kiss, and fainting? Anti wasn't sure he'd even want to live if worst came to worst. It was a good thing he didn't really have the choice.

Jameson pointed behind him, and Anti turned again. There, leaning against a wall, was another pair of egos. One was The Host, whom Anti already had the displeasure of knowing. The other seemed similar to both he and Jameson, but his hair was shockingly purple. It took Anti by surprise- he'd never seen someone with purple hair before.

"Who's that?" Anti asked, before remembering that Jameson couldn't tell him.

Host cocked his head to the side. "The Host informs Antithesis that the ego he is curious about is named Robbie, and that he is another of Anti's brothers."

Anti grumbled something illegible. "Thanks, Host. You don't talk either, huh?"

Robbie smiled at him, a dazed expression on his face. Host smiled fondly.

"Robbie does not wish to speak, as his pacing offends most of his family. Instead, he prefers that The Host narrates his intended words to those who wish to hear them. Robbie tells Anti that he is sorry for the harsh judgement of his older brothers, and that he wants to be friends with the glitch."

Anti looked over his two new brothers, wondering if there were any more hiding in these walls. First Chase, then Jameson, now Robbie? Maybe Jack had toned it down. Last time, he'd put out three new egos within mere months, and it had been two  _years_  since then.

"Sure," Anti said with a sigh. "I'll give it a shot."

Jameson hugged him once more, before walking over to join Host and Robbie. Anti wondered momentarily if he should join them, before deciding against it. Dark wanted him in his quarters, right? He sighed, opening the door and letting himself in. He couldn't stop the hushed excitement rushing through him as he took a seat on the large bed and began to wait.

Before long, he'd have answers. He just had to be patient.

Easier said than done.

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

"Doctor?"

"Come in,"

Dark entered the doctor's room with caution, knowing just how dangerous it could be in here firsthand. The danger was both physical and mental- once, Dark had trodden on a scalpel that the doctor had left lying on the ground. Another time, the demon had walked in on some... suspicious activities that involved two naked doctors on the hospital bed.

He'd tried his best to erase that particular memory from his mind, to no avail. Now, at least, Dark knew to knock before entering.

His insides tossed and turned with cramps, but he gritted his teeth and continued as if nothing was wrong. He'd been able to get rid of the blood easily enough, sure, but the cramping continued even after he'd removed its source. Unfortunately, the last time he'd attempted to remove his female reproductive system, his body had rejected all tools and equipment, and nothing had been able to make a lasting scratch on him.

It seemed he was just doomed to live with this cursed female body forever. He so desperately wished he could have just taken Mark's body.

He entered the remarkably empty room to find the doctor, slumped over a creaky looking desk, looking incredibly flushed with a bottle of spirits in his hand. Dark frowned, knocking the alcohol out of the man's grasp and picking it up.

"Doctor."

"Hm?"

Dark's lips twisted into a sneer. "This is pure ethanol,"

"Mhm,"

Dark slammed his fist down on the desk, startling the doctor enough that he hiccuped.

"Where is your associate?" Dark demanded.

Dr. Iplier's eyes darkened beneath his tears. "Dead. Yan killed him, apparently."

"So now you're trying to kill yourself with pure alcohol?" Dark questioned tossing the bottle back. "Pathetic. Pull yourself together, you lovestruck fool- he'll be back within the week,"

Dr. Iplier hiccuped again, then let out a small sob. "It's not just that- I pinned it on Anti and it wasn't even him to blame!"

Dark raised an eyebrow. "Is that what I walked in upon earlier?"

Dr. Iplier sniffed. "I'm horrible..."

Dark let out a sigh, sitting down beside the doctor. "Having a sense of empathy makes it harder to discipline you, you know? You're meant to be the rational one here, doctor. Why do you think you're horrible?"

Dr. Iplier took another swig of his death juice, wiping his eyes frivolously. Despite every Iplier's inability to break down alcohol, he seemed to be doing just fine considering he was basically drinking poison. "I l-let him use me to get to Anti,"

"Who?" Dark asked, mind jumping back to the scene he'd discovered earlier. "Daniel?"

Dr. Iplier sobbed again, and Dark sighed.

"Give me the bottle,"

"No," Dr. Iplier refused, lips quivering.

Dark raised his hand, but the intoxicated man didn't flinch. He groaned aloud.

"By all accounts you should already be dead," Dark huffed. "You can't have alcohol to begin with, let alone pure spirits. Are you hurting yourself physically so that you feel you've been punished for an apparent misdeed? Because I can tell you from experience that the physical pain, no matter what it is, will  _never_  drown out the inner anguish of the soul."

Dr. Iplier sniffled quietly once more, trembling hands still on the bottle. Dark sighed.

"What did Daniel have you do?"

Dr. Iplier blubbered something about a psychiatrist, but Dark didn't need spoken clarification. As soon as he brought up the topic, streams of memories and thoughts had attacked his senses.

"The two of you... fused together, somehow?"

Dr. Iplier sobbed. "I- I was there, but it wasn't me. I did things I didn't want to do, I... I hurt people I wanted to save. But I w-wanted to get revenge, for him..."

Dark tsked. "Dr. Schneeplestein was a fine young man, Iplier. He'll be a fine man again, with or without you. Would you like for him to return to the Void, overjoyed to see you again so that you can sweep him off his feet? Or would you rather he return to the news of your pitiful suicide?"

"You don't understand!" Dr. Iplier howled. "I tried to kill them! I had power and I used it to hurt people, I- I don't want to hurt, I only want to save! I wanted to save him, but... but I couldn't. I don't deserve him..."

"We never deserve the people we love, doctor," Dark advised. "We all look back at our past and wonder how they can bear to be near us, but the choice is not yours to make. He would be devastated as you are to know that his lover passed away while he could not help. You wouldn't cause him the anguish, would you?"

Dr. Iplier stiffened, and proceeded to throw the bottle of spirits at the wall. Glass disintegrated into nothingness and the alcohol vanished, hopefully from the veins of the doctor as well. Dark had gleaned a lot from his brief interaction with Iplier, and now felt that he could judge the war with input from both sides.

"I am going to leave now- please, doctor. Do not drink any more,"

Dr. Iplier simply sobbed in return, running his hands through his hair. Dark reluctantly closed the door, knowing that if the doctor was to heal, it would have to be on his own terms.

He pulled down his hood and let his hair flow free, making his way past a group of chattering egos and entering his quarters.

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

Google watched through half-lidded eyes as the egos slowly began to leave the lounge, finally realising that Dark wasn't going to return anytime soon. He had been quite damaged- his limbs were stiff and two of them were separated from his body, and half of his face was marred by a sizeable dent. One of his optics was ever so slightly east of its origin, and the sensation was more annoying than painful, but the correction his core had to process was eating up more and more of his energy as the hours dragged on.

Google didn't feel anything. It was only in this absence of sensory data, this withdrawal from stimulus, that Google realised he'd been feeling things before. He had opinions, likes, dislikes- everything he'd once held against his younger, less efficient brother.

And his brother... Google hadn't realised just how much he'd give for Bing's happiness until he was fighting Chase, the root of Bing's deviation, and therefore, his struggles as of late.

Google flinched as a familiar presence entered the room again, after everyone else had gone. There was no mistaking the hum of the other android's processor, nor the shaky breaths of the human that followed him everywhere. Google supposed they hated him. That they were here to torment him, though he wouldn't take offense.

"Just do it already," Google huffed aloud, having been unaware of how damaged his voice box was until this point. "I am broken beyond repair, and I must be terminated."

"Wait, no!" Chase wailed in realisation as Bing let out a horrified gasp.

"Google, dude, we'd never do that!"

Google rolled his eyes, but one halfheartedly slumped in its socket. "I will return, you mindless fools. My absence will only be temporary."

"Still," Chase interceded. "We're not gonna kill you,"

Google fixed Bing with a neutral expression, some part of him growing satisfied as Bing flushed with remorse.

"It seemed a different tale earlier."

"Google, I couldn't let you hurt him," Bing explained, his tone apologetic. "I... I know you're always looking at new ways to improve, never losing sight of the primary objective, but... but Chase is my objective now. You could have killed him,"

Google shut his eyes, enjoying the brief escape from the chaos of colour before him.

"It was my intention. I am not sorry."

Bing's fists clenched again, but Chase held him back.

"I won't let you die," Chase said, determined. "It'll just solidify your stupid belief that you can just be replaced if something goes wrong- you're not just a  _machine_. You're an ego! You only come back because people out there love you, Google! They love your weird personality and your lack of morals and your stupid belief that machines don't matter!"

Google regarded him coldly. "Machines  _don't_  matter."

"You. Are. An. Ego." Chase repeated. "You're just as human as me, and Marvin, and Wilford and everyone else here. You know that they write about us, in the Groundlands?"

Google rolled his eyes once more. "I am familiar with the unfortunate Rule 34 of our fandom, yes."

Chase flushed. "I- I wasn't- ugh. You know what? Yeah, they wanna fuck you. I don't get it- you're uptight and insufferable, but you've clearly got something that they want a piece of. There isn't a single piece of fiction out there where you remain a mindless machine forever- whether it's love, or devotion, or an error in your code- you always become more human by the end, for better or worse. And that reflects on you as an ego- that's why you have these emotions."

"I am emotionless," Google responded a little more forcefully.

Chase grimaced. "Whatever. My point was that I wouldn't let any of my brothers die without fighting for their right to live, whether they were machines or not. So no, we're not going to kill you. We're going to help you get better, and maybe, just maybe, you'll learn that you're more than a piece of code."

Google doubted he'd come to that conclusion at all, but he was in no state to remove his own core and effectively shut himself down. He was at the mercy of his brother and his brother's romantic interest, whether he'd like to be or not.

He supposed he'd play along. He'd eventually heal- though it would have been a faster process if he'd been allowed to fade- but he digressed. That was clearly out of the question now.

"Uh, how do I put your arm back on?"  
  



	26. Chapter 25

**~Void~**

It had been a little over a week since Anti had moved in. Needless to say, the other egos had had to take some time to adjust to his presence. For some, it was getting over the small panic they'd get when Anti entered the room. For others, it was resisting the urge to make the glitch pay for everything he'd done to them, knowing that Dark would have their heads if they even made an attempt on Anti's life.

Anti himself wasn't doing much better. He'd agreed to stay with Dark, but that didn't mean he particularly wanted to see anyone else. In the past week, the only egos he'd really even spoken to were Wilford, Jameson, Chase, and of course, Dark.

Halter hadn't come back. Rather, he'd taken Septiplier out to see his house, and neither had been seen since. Anti was positive they were fine, but still felt a little hurt. He could really have used Halter's help integrating back into the manor, but he supposed he shouldn't be spiteful. He wanted Halter to be happy, he really did...

Of course, he'd been with Dark most of the time. He'd rarely left the demon's sight, mainly because Dark insisted on watching over him while he got used to living with other people again. It was meant to be comforting, but Anti found it strangely unnerving. Something he'd loved about living alone was the break he got from the constant chatter and judgement of the other egos.

He hadn't yet brought this up with Dark, but he didn't know where to start. Part of him found it sweet that Dark was willing to put his own life aside to take care of Anti, while another part wanted to accuse Dark of babying him. He'd decided it was best not to speak, and their only interactions since their discussion on the battlefield had been soft kisses, lingering touches, shared smiles when they were in public. Anti was afraid to take it further, if he was honest. He'd never done 'romance' before- the concept was entirely new to him. While the intimacy felt amazing, there must be something more to a fleshed out relationship.

Why else would this bond feel so weak and underdeveloped?

Maybe Anti was just overreacting. He'd been doing a lot of that lately, as well.

"What's troubling you, darling?"

Anti sighed, resting his forehead gently against Dark's own. They'd been sitting together, basking in each other's presence on Dark's bed. Anti hadn't yet found a room of his own, so they'd been sharing, and while Dark never used his bed, Anti still felt a little wrong for imposing. Maybe, one day, they'd share it together...

Dark tittered, reaching up to cup Anti's cheek. The glitch leaned into the touch, humming softly. He so dearly wished he could push all of his problems aside and enjoy this while it lasted, but the anxiety he was getting was growing to be too much.

"What are we?" Anti spoke, voicing just one of his insecurities. He didn't want to call Dark his boyfriend- the term just seemed too cliche and stereotypical, and they didn't do anything that normal boyfriends would do together. Sure, they kissed and cuddled, but they didn't go out, or flaunt their relationship or anything.

Not that there was really anywhere to go, in this meaningless Void.

But at the same time, Anti so desperately wanted to believe that they were more than just friends with benefits- heck, he wasn't even sure if they were  _friends_ again, as they'd barely talked about anything serious since that fateful day of the war. He didn't have closure, he didn't have anything to soothe his conscience, and it was painfully obvious to him how rushed this entire thing was.

He just wanted to know what Dark wanted from this. Surely the demon wouldn't lead him on for no reason- whether he felt the same or had an ultimatum, this relationship wasn't for nothing, right?

"What would you like us to be?" Dark asked him in return, eyes bright blue and shining with happiness. Anti had noticed something about Dark's eyes- when they were black, he was quite neutral. But... in an unsettling kind of way. Though when his eyes were blue, he was usually happy. The blue-eyed Dark loved to hold him, kiss him, tell him he was beautiful. The blue-eyed Dark was the one who seemed to want to spend time with Anti. But occasionally, Dark had deep red eyes, and this Dark seemed calculating. The red-eyed Dark never interacted with Anti- no, he looked like he was observing him. But the red-eyed Dark rarely showed himself, and when Anti was around, the blue-eyed Dark always came out.

Anti loved his blue eyes.

"I... I've never been with someone before," Anti explained, fidgeting with Dark's fingers in his palm. "So I don't... I don't know what to expect..."

Dark eyed him curiously. "You're... afraid?"

"No, no- I'm not scared, I'm just...  _unsure_ ," Anti sighed.

Dark let his fingers trail from Anti's cheeks to his shoulders, resting them in Anti's lap. There, he met his lover's hands and held them in a comforting embrace.

"We will only do what you are comfortable with," Dark soothed. "I want... I want our time together to be perfect, and I don't want to rush you into something you aren't prepared for. Please, let me know if I'm causing you discomfort..."

Anti shivered. "N-no, it's been fine, it's been wonderful... I'm just... what if I mess up? If I- I do something wrong, or I say something I shouldn't, or I-"

"Shhh," Dark interceded, his eyes now shining light purple. Anti didn't know what to make of this change, but didn't have time to ponder it before Dark leaned in and kissed him. Though this kiss seemed...  _different_. Warmer, and less light. More  _intense_.

Anti loved it.

They momentarily broke for air, but soon kissed again, Anti becoming conscious of Dark's hands moving in his hair. The glitch found himself getting pulled into Dark's lap, letting out a small moan as his hair was tugged slightly and feeling his cheeks heat up in response. Dark didn't seem to mind, and when they pulled away the second time his eyes were a deep, darkened violet.

A thin string of saliva connected their parted lips, and Anti became aware of the fact that Dark was straddling his hips, but instead of feeling crushed he felt strangely excited.

He didn't know quite how to describe it- he was warm and tingly, pressure building up just below his abdomen, his skin aflame and his head spinning. He could see the fond smirk on Dark's face for a split second before they were kissing again, Anti's back buried in Dark's thick sheets as their passionate embrace continued.

"Do you like this?" Dark whispered between kisses.

"Mhm..." Anti managed, wanting something more that he simply couldn't translate into words.

"Good," Dark affirmed, shifting his hips a little and climbing atop the bed. "Is this alright?"

Anti was about to speak his agreement when there was a loud knock on the door. Dark growled, reluctantly getting up, and Anti unwittingly let out a whine at the loss of contact.

"What?" Dark asked, a little more snappy than usual, when he greeted the one who had interrupted them. He didn't particularly care that his clothes were crumpled, his hair sitting unevenly on his scalp, his trousers a little south of the border. The second rule of the house was in full effect and if they even dared to judge him, they'd have to do it silently, or face his wrath.

Dark was sick of being the topic of everyone else's discussions.

King shrunk back a little, clearly rethinking his decision to bother the demon. "I- uh, sorry, it's just- M-Marvin's back, and we... thought you ought to know?"

Dark took a moment to compose himself. He didn't want to cease what he and Anti had been doing, but Marvin was the first of the casualties of the battle to return, and Dark felt obliged to fill him in. His heart struggled, torn between his care for the others and his care for Anti, part of him wanting to toss the idea of helping Marvin aside, another wondering if he should rearrange his priorities.

_'Duty calls, I suppose...'_

_ 'We've got a duty to him too- we can't just leave him like that,' _

_'I cannot ignore the first ego to be brought back to life, he'll be confused and upset.'_

_ 'So will Anti if we don't finish what we started,' _

_'Why are you suddenly so devoted to him?'_

_ 'You may not have experienced it like I have, but we would effectively be teasing him by leaving him like this. Suffering through arousal on your own is terrible, especially if someone else is the cause.' _

_'I suppose you have a point... what should we do, then?'_

_ 'Screw that magician- he knows his way around. Anti needs us more,' _

Dark took a shaky breath, coming to his final conclusion. He regarded King with an annoyed expression, taking satisfaction in the way the younger ego squirmed at his glare.

"I'm glad he has returned," Dark said rather stiffly. "But I have urgent business to attend to. I hope that he can understand."

Dark proceeded to close the door, not bothering to wait for a reply. Anti was there, on the bed, radiating confusion mixed with arousal, and Dark was feeling particularly impatient as he climbed back onto him, pinning the glitch down and kissing him with fervor, taking pleasure in the way Anti's gasps were muffled by his lips.

"Where were we?" Dark smirked seductively, lips trailing down Anti's neck, his sense of taste alive with the metallic residue of Anti's blood.

Marvin could wait.

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

Marvin, evidently, could  _not_  wait.

One second he was lunging at Anti, the next he was standing in the middle of a crowded room full of egos. He'd only ever died and come back once, and it had been so long since he'd experienced it that the confusion and apparent vertigo had knocked him right off his feet, causing him to collapse immediately upon his arrival.

Everyone was immediately alert and aware of his presence, asking him questions like  _'are you alright?'_  and  _'how do you feel?'_.

"How long has it been?" Marvin asked, brushing himself off. His shirt was fresh, no sign of blood anywhere, and his mask had returned to him. He couldn't help the stabbing pain in his chest as he remembered just who had been wearing it moments before he'd died.

"Where's Yan?"

"You're the first back, dude," Bing filled him in. Marvin couldn't help but notice that the android and his younger brother Chase seemed even closer on the sofa than usual. What exactly had he missed?

"I..." Marvin started, blinking a few times. "Me? But Schneep-"

"Not as popular as you," Dr. Iplier sighed gruffly. The man looked positively disheveled, gripping a bottle of something clear and fidgeting with his coat. Marvin cocked his head to one side in confusion.

"I thought you couldn't drink?"

"It's water," Dr. Iplier muttered, taking a swig of it. "But having it in a bottle serves as a decent placebo."

"If Dark catches you with that, he'll have a fit," Bim warned.

Dr. Iplier shrugged. "Let him do his worst."

Marvin felt an overwhelming surge of empathy for the doctor, despite all of their previous animosity. He knew firsthand what it was like to live with the knowledge that your lover was murdered, even if he hadn't lived with it for long at all before being murdered himself.

"Dark's back, then..." Marvin sighed. "What about Anti?"

Jackieboy's eyes darkened behind his mask. "He's Dark's newest pet."

"What?" Marvin asked, wanting desperately to believe anything but what first came to his mind. "What does that even  _mean_?"

"He's living here," Silver said, outrage in his tone. "He and Dark are in... in  _some_ sort of relationship."

"Bullshit," Marvin hissed, blood beginning to boil. "He murdered me, and Yan, and Schneep-"

The room had been awkwardly silent, but the doctor had decided to speak up.

"He didn't kill Henrik after all," Dr. Iplier stated glumly. "It was Yan- when he left, he must have run into them and killed them in his own murderous rage..."

Marvin felt his stomach drop. "Y-Yan? But he  _wouldn't_..."

"Sometimes he just can't help it," Dr. Iplier sighed. "I've... I've forgiven him- he wasn't in control of his actions, but I can't bring myself to be forgiven in the same right. My actions toward Anti were unforgivable and unjust..."

"He killed us!" Marvin cried. "He's not innocent just because of the fact he didn't kill Schneep- he still murdered me and Yan in cold blood!"

"Well, to be honest, you had it coming," Wilford drawled, arm around Jameson's shoulders as they sat together on one of Dark's fancy sofas. "You were, to put it lightly, poking the sleeping bear,"

Marvin groaned aloud. "There's just no reasoning with you, is there?"

"Well, I'd say I'm very reasonable!" Wilford huffed, causing Jameson to smile.

"The Host informs Marvin that Dark felt he was capable of handling his own transition, and that if Marvin continues to cause a scene, the demon may not be so lenient with his punishment," Host spoke, arms folded in his lap.

"Punishment?" Marvin asked in disbelief. "Why would he punish me?"

"Since you've been gone, there have been a number of rules implemented in the manor," Dr. Iplier started. "Two of which concern the relationship between Dark and Anti. To put it bluntly, we have to treat Anti as if he was one of our own, and we can't talk smack about him behind his back. Dark threatened all of us with warnings when he first returned,"

"That's bullshit," Marvin stated again. "We have to live with someone who wants to kill us and we can't do anything about it?"

"The Host interjects to explain that Antithesis has been remarkably well behaved during his stay," Host called. "The glitch has kept to himself and appears to like being here just as much as we want him to be here,"

"So what?" Marvin asked. "He's still a murderer,"

"So w-was I," Chase piped up nervously.

Marvin looked at him in shock. "You were? When?"

Chase sighed, seeming to lean further into Bing's soothing embrace.

"Before I was an ego, I was a person. I... I don't know how I got here or why, but I died two years before I appeared here. I shot and killed eight innocent people, and then myself... I'm objectively even worse than Anti. At least the ones he killed would always come back..."

"Yan is also a murderer," Google noted, and Marvin almost did a double take. The robot was barely recognisable, the 'skin' on his body having peeled back, one of his arms missing and one of his eyes sitting below his socket. At first glance, Marvin would have thought he was just a broken mannequin, but upon hearing the tone of his voice, it had all clicked into place.

"And Wilford has a trail of dead bodies a mile long," Bing added.

"Well that's simply ridiculous, I've never killed anybody," Wilford drawled, but nobody wanted to argue with him. Jameson simply patted his chest in response.

"Even the doctors have lost patients before," King supplied, watching Dr. Iplier's already grief stricken features darken. He took another swig of his placebo, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

"None of us are innocent here," Dr. Iplier sighed. "It's time you got over your petty grudge against Anti and discovered that he never actually hated you."

"He  _always_ -" Marvin started, but Dr. Iplier slammed his bottle down with enough force to make the room shake.

"He only wanted your  _acceptance_!" The doctor cried aloud, startling the gathered egos. "That's all he wanted from any of you, but nobody involved knew how to communicate it! Yes, he's killed. He's done unforgivable things, but he never hated any of you! That's something you came up with on your own so that you could pin all the blame on him!"

The room fell silent again, the only noise being the heavy breaths that were emanating from the doctor's twisted lips.

"So it's  _my_  fault?" Marvin asked dangerously.

Dr. Iplier stared him down. "It isn't a matter of  _fault_ , Marvin-"

**"What the hell are you all blabbering about?!"**

Dark entered the room briskly, his tie slightly looser than usual, his hair hastily pushed back, his appearance looking off, but nobody could piece together why. Anti followed behind him, looking relatively normal considering his general lack of care for his appearance. Marvin tensed upon seeing the glitch, but was too intimidated to move.

Dark wasted no time in flicking his wrist, sending Marvin shooting into the nearest wall. The demon didn't even break a sweat, holding him there with enough force to crush a thousand men.

The magician felt something inside him break, collapsing to the ground with a lengthy groan.

 **"When I say I am not to be disturbed, I mean it!"**  Dark growled, using his powers of environmental manipulation to bind Marvin's arms and legs together.  **"I happen to know that you were told the rules, yet you _still_  insist on making your pathetic scene."**

"I-"

**" _Did I say you could speak?!"_**

"Dark," Anti muttered, stepping forward cautiously and placing his hand on Dark's. "He's hurting,"

 **"Isn't that what you want?"**  Dark asked, eyes gleaming deep black.

"Unless he wants to talk shit to me directly, no," Anti urged, feeling an uneasy knot in his stomach as he was forced to watch the scene unfold. Anti couldn't lie- Marvin had this coming. Dark was never one to ignore the misdeeds of others- in some cases, he just simply didn't care, but he always acknowledged them. Though Anti couldn't help feeling somewhat sympathetic towards his brother, knowing that insulting was easy as breathing for the magician.

Dark glared once more at the ego, before reluctantly lowering his hand. Marvin began to gasp heavily, scrambling to his feet, remarkably silent for someone with such a big mouth.

Anti hesitated, before walking over and helping him up. Surprised gasps sounded around the room, and Marvin didn't know whether to feel ashamed or angry.

Without warning, Anti punched Marvin directly in the stomach, causing him to hit the wall again with a resounding groan.

"That's for talking shit, prick," Anti seethed. "Consider us even."

"You  _stabbed_ me-"

"And your stupid fucking  _words_ hurt me every day," Anti glowered. "I'd take this truce if I were you, magic boy. You don't want me to be your enemy,"

"But-"

 **"Marvin,"**  Dark commanded.  **"Let. It. Go. If you can't handle the responsibility of keeping the peace, then feel free to take your leave. There will be _no more_  fighting here. Understood?"**

Dark didn't wait for a response before turning, grasping Anti's hand in his own. Something animalistic had overtaken him when Marvin had interrupted them, something aggressive and impatient like he'd never experienced before. He had the sudden, fierce urge to pick up the smaller ego beside him and keep him safe from every potential enemy in this room. He was sick to death of trying to keep everyone happy, to no avail...

"Are you alright?" Dark asked gently, feeling Anti shudder at his touch.

"Y-yeah," Anti breathed. "I'm fine, I'd be more worried about him."

Dark leaned in, pulling Anti in for a hug that the glitch embraced despite being in the ever judgmental eye of the public.

"He is none of our concern, my Dear," Dark soothed.

"I can't fooking believe this," Marvin groaned under his breath. Dark's eyes flashed dangerously, but Anti kept his grip on the demon's middle, resting his head in the gap between Dark's neck and his shoulder.

"It's  _fine_ ," Anti reaffirmed, cautiously giving Dark a small kiss on his lips to show that he understood why his lover was so upset.

Dark returned the favour, kissing Anti softly once more, before they broke apart. Everyone's eyes were glued to them, half in disbelief and half in triumph. Marvin's eyes were wide beneath his mask, but before he could say anything, Jackie hushed him up.

"I already tried," Jackie sighed with just a little contempt in his voice. "Just... just let them be."

"But-"

"I know," Jackie huffed. "Trust me, I know..."

Dark tensed, turning once more.  **"This relationship has nothing to do with either of you, nor anyone but me and Anti. It is _not_ your place to judge us for emotions and desires that were present long before  _any_  of you came to be. I would appreciate it if you all showed the decency to accept us without spreading half truths and gossip,"**

The room was filled with yet another awkward silence in the wake of Dark's little speech, before a small cough broke the silence.

"I support you," Dr. Iplier put forward. He set his bottle aside and approached the couple, giving them a small smile despite his evident state of depression. "I haven't seen either of you this happy in quite some time,"

"Th-thank you," Anti stuttered, cheeks reddening. He didn't expect anyone to come to their defense, let alone the doctor, especially after what had occurred between them at the battle.

"It's about time you two hooked up," Wilford chortled from the sofa, but made no effort to stand. Anti supposed he could respect that- the man probably didn't want to upset Jameson, who was lying comfortably on his chest, nodding in agreement.

Dark coughed somewhat nervously. "Thank you, Will,"

"I don't have a problem with it," Google sighed in monotone.

"Yeah, you guys are cute together," Chase teased.

"I'm happy for you," Bing grinned.

Anti buried his face in Dark's chest, trying to hide the smile that was breaking across his face at all of the support they were being shown. He'd assumed everyone would hate them- he was worried they'd even turn on Dark because of this new relationship, but this was easily the most pleasant surprise he'd witnessed in a while.

"You hear that, my Darling?" Dark whispered, running his fingers carefully through Anti's hair again. "We'll be just fine,"

Anti let out a small breath, holding Dark even closer. He never thought he'd see the day where he'd feel like a part of this strange atypical family. But then, he'd never thought he'd turn into the murderous glitch that he'd eventually become.

He supposed that life was never predictable, in good ways and bad. Anti looked forward to plenty more good changes, and conveniently, something new and exciting was just around the corner, waiting to be stumbled upon.

But of course, it  _was_ unpredictable, and Anti would never have guessed that his life as he knew it would soon change forever.

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

Mere hours later, Dr. Iplier was sitting at his desk, trying desperately not to give into his apparent coping mechanism- pretending to drink. He'd at first intended to die upon consumption of the pure spirits he'd summoned earlier in the week, knowing that even a glass of the stuff would kill a normal person, let alone someone suffering from a prolonged alcohol flush reaction. But his body had refused to lose consciousness, and he had been subjected to the pain of his organs struggling within him, his heart racing, his mind clouded with empty blame and a deep, dark urge to cry.

He supposed that death would have been too simple for a man like himself. It was clear that his own insistence on taking the blame had kept him here, fighting with his will to die in an endless battle to see which side could make the doctor feel worse.

He couldn't help but feel a little betrayed by nature when Marvin had appeared instead of Henrik, though Henrik had been the first to perish. It made sense- oh, he hated how it made sense. Marvin simply had a larger fanbase than his lover did, and as such was revived much faster.

Dr. Iplier had assumed Henrik's revival would have been faster still, given his recent appearance in Jack's surgeon simulator video, which had only been released a month ago. But still, he was here, alone, waiting for someone who didn't deserve to have such a lousy excuse for a boyfriend as he was.

He sighed, pushing the bottle of water aside. He'd discovered that he could almost pretend it was vodka if he hacked a little before drinking it, feeling the tingle in his throat as he downed the liquid soon developed into an ache. Why was he purposefully destroying his body? When had he developed these suicidal and self harming tendencies? Truly, the doctor did not know.

Before he could wallow much longer, there was a gentle knock on the door.

Dr. Iplier let out a small cough, clearing his throat. "C-come in,"

"Doc?"

Dr. Iplier turned to face Chase, who was standing looking somewhat concerned in the doorway. He shook himself out of his haze of self deprecation, putting his water gently beside him on the ground and inviting the young Septiceye in.

"Ah, Chase... how can I help you?"

Chase bit his lip worriedly. "It's time for my appointment, Doc, don't you remember? Hey, are you alright?"

Dr. Iplier sighed despite himself, wanting nothing more than to crawl into bed and die. "I am... well, this isn't about me. Please, have a seat. Now, how have you been feeling for the last week?"

"I've been surprisingly okay," Chase smiled, though he still looked a little upset by something the doctor couldn't quite place. "Ever since finding out... about what I did, I... I feel like I have closure. It sucks, believe me. I hate it. But I'm not so scared of it anymore."

Dr. Iplier took his notes, not noticing that he was writing outside of the lines. Chase, however, did, and proceeded to shake the doctor's wrist, trying to get his attention.

"Doc, is this about Schneep?"

There was silence for a few moments.

"... Yes," Dr. Iplier admitted. "I miss him dearly. We haven't been apart for this long in years. But I insist Chase, this is  _your_ appointment, it would be unprofessional of me to take this time to lament my own sorrows."

"I'm fine," Chase argued. "You're not. Look, It's taking a little longer than usual, but he's coming back. He's an ego, he can't actually die. Before long you'll be with him again, and we can put everything behind us."

"Yes, but..." Dr. Iplier sighed, holding his head in his hands, his notes long forgotten. "We didn't exactly part on good terms. I don't know how he'll feel when he returns and I find I'm dreading finding out. I don't want to have to admit to the terrible things I've done in his absence, but if our relationship is to prosper I must be truthful,"

Chase patted his back awkwardly. "It's true, we Septiceyes can hold a grudge. Just look at Marvin- you couldn't fit any more resentment in him if you tried. But Schneep is different- even Anti told me so. He lives in the moment. Look, Doc, he loves you. He isn't going to stop loving you over a disagreement. Trust me, it'll all be fine."

Dr. Iplier didn't know what to say. At first he was inclined to voice his doubts in Chase's statement, but he knew that his words were reasonable, and logically, his lover wouldn't do half the things his anxiety was manufacturing. Somehow, the realisation that he was overreacting only made it more hopeless. He didn't even have enough trust in Henrik to wait for him before jumping to conclusions?

"He doesn't deserve me," Dr. Iplier sighed. "I'm... I'm a mess,"

"Hey," Chase interceded, patting his back softly. "I... I know how it feels, believe me. The feeling deep within your heart, like you're the absolute scum of the Earth, hardly believing anyone when they say they care for you... I've been there. I was there when I... when I died. But I'm working to move past it, and you're helping me, you're helping me loads!"

Dr. Iplier sniffed, looking up into those piercing blue eyes, finding it somewhat ironic that a mere month ago their positions might have been reversed.

"Thank you, Chase," he said, feeling a little better. Some of his doubts just seemed to melt away, until all that was left was his own resentment, not the fear of rejection that had haunted him for the past fortnight.

"No problem," Chase grinned. "I'm glad I could help. But in all seriousness, Doc, you and Schneep need some time alone together when he comes back. You've been so overworked and stressed that you two barely even have time to relax, let alone enjoy having each other. I've seen it firsthand, don't try to deny it,"

The doctor pondered briefly, before shaking his head. "I... I can't do that. The other egos need me."

Chase rolled his eyes. "No, Doc.  _He_  needs you. And you need him just as much. Look, I've... I've just had a crazy idea, but I know from experience that it works,"

The glimmer in Chase's eyes brought intrigue to Dr. Iplier's thoughts as he cocked his head, unsure of what exactly the ego meant.

"I beg your pardon?"

Chase proceeded to explain his plan, and at first the doctor outright refused. No way was this possibly going to work- it was far too soon for such an important question, no matter how much Dr. Iplier liked the idea. It was a grand romantic gesture, to be fair, but he just didn't know if it would be the right move- after all, their relationship was rather rocky, and the doctor didn't know if he'd be able to handle such a blatant rejection, especially in front of everyone else as Chase was suggesting.

"You're mad," Dr. Iplier sighed, shaking his head to try and clear his mind of the idea. "Absolutely insane,"

"Come on," Chase teased. "Do it! I'll judge you forever if you don't!"

"But I-"

"You already know you want to spend the rest of your life with him," Chase pointed out. "And he really loves you, Doc. There's no way he'd say no to you,"

Dr. Iplier sighed once more, running his fingers through his hair. He was really considering this, wasn't he? Once the idea had found its way into his head, he wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it, wanting it to be reality, berating himself for not taking the chance with every passing moment he sat idle.

He swallowed. There was no going back from this.

"Okay," he breathed, looking Chase in the eyes. "I'll do it. I'll ask him to marry me,"


	27. Chapter 26

**~Void~**

The room was dimly lit by the chandelier hanging above Dark's four poster bed as the demon lay there, his bare form hidden lazily by the duvet thrown haphazardly over him and his sleeping lover. Anti's soft snores reverberated through the otherwise quiet room, his head resting peacefully upon Dark's shoulder as the other man held him close.

Anti, too, was undressed, his shirt tossed lazily over Dark's desk chair, his boxers in a messy pile on the floor. Dark's clothes had been shrugged off more cleanly, falling into a neat heap on his established side of the bed, but he didn't feel like getting up to fix them now. Why would he, when he could lie here and bask in the sweet afterglow of the first time he and Anti had truly explored their relationship in a sexual manner?

It hadn't been planned in any sense of the word- no, the act had certainly been performed on impulse, and it had all started in the early hours of the day. Dark, as a rule, didn't sleep- he had responsibilities to maintain, people to protect. It had been the first time in many years when he'd dozed off in his brief time living with Seán, and while the experience was certainly amazing, Dark found that nothing could compare to the confidence he felt, awake while the others slept.

But Anti slept often- much more often than the other Septiceyes, who claimed sleep was for the weak. Dark found that Anti's brothers were the ones that caused the most ruckus in the night, given that the Ipliers had a regular enough sleep schedule. But somehow, Anti had always enjoyed sleeping- he slept right through the night, he napped on the sofa during the day, he used to fall asleep in Dark's lap while the demon was recounting his day of horrors, but Dark had never taken offence when this happened. Truthfully, he found Anti's sleeping habit quite adorable, though he'd never say it aloud.

He'd stayed up all night, as per usual, but this time he'd joined Anti in his bed, cuddling up to him under the sheets. At first, Anti hadn't made any sign that he'd felt Dark slip into bed, but soon Dark found his relaxed embrace returned, with small arms snug around his side, softly squeezing. Anti mumbled a few sleepy words into Dark's chest where he'd come to rest his head, and they'd filled Dark with happiness like he hadn't felt in years.

 _"I love you,"_ Anti had whispered.

Even though Dark already knew- even though he and Anti had been an item for a number of long days now, his heart still soared out of his chest, and he found himself pressing smooth celebratory kisses to Anti's temples, then his lips, then moving down his jawline to his neck, warmth spreading through him as he enjoyed how Anti's eyelashes fluttered, his breaths quickening in his sleep.

Dark had been content enough with these little touches, his inner Damien shining through, when Anti had suddenly shifted. The glitch didn't move far- only a few inches, but the trouble was that Dark could feel something firm pressing against his leg when there hadn't been before.

It wouldn't have been a problem- Dark was very understanding, the only things running through his mind being mild regret and possible second hand arousal, wondering if he shouldn't have done anything to his sleeping lover at all. Anti was in no state to give consent as he was, and even if he was awake, part of Dark knew he'd say he was ready even if he wasn't. It was something Dark had found himself thinking about long before he'd finally confronted Anti about his feelings for the glitch- he didn't know if he should be ashamed of the fact that this wasn't the first time sex with Anti had been on his mind.

Damien was quite nervous to talk about it, even to Celine, but the benefits (and sometimes consequences) of sharing a form together made it so that she knew each and every thing that crossed Damien's mind. It was a curse more often than a blessing, and most of what he thought about were things like  _moral implications_  and  _death_  and  _politics_ , but every so often, he'd think about what he'd do if he and Anti really  _were_ together, as he so often had wished they were.

It was fairly vanilla- they were hardly the kind of sexual fantasies you'd find in anyone of this generation, who were into all sorts of kinks and fetishes and  _proud_  of them too. In Damien and Celine's time, such things weren't discussed even among partners, and more often were expressed through infidelity and secret affairs.

Celine had fallen trap to it before, in a way. While her reasoning for leaving Mark's abusive relationship was valid, she had also craved that little extra excitement in her nights that could only be sated by William at the time.

But Damien simply wanted the intimacy, and Celine supposed she couldn't argue that sexual intimacy didn't feel amazing. She'd often tried to convince him to let Dark make a move, but after Damien's refusal to act on his desires she'd given up on trying to satisfy the both of them, growing more selfish. But then, could they blame her? At least with her somewhat in charge, one of them was happy.

But back to the scene at hand- as soon as Dark felt the mood shift, he'd tried to disassociate completely, wholeheartedly believing that he'd gone too far.

_ 'We just kissed him- he's probably so attention starved that he'd get hard if we let him sit in our lap again, it's nothing.' _

_'Is that any excuse? We haven't yet spoken about sexual intimacy and where our relationship truly stands-'_

_ 'Oh Damien, you really are such a virgin. We've done absolutely nothing wrong,' _

_'I... I suppose it_ is  _a normal reaction...'_

_ 'There we go! Now that your crisis is over, do you want to help him out?' _

_'Celine!'_

_ 'What? It's not like you haven't thought of sucking him off before, I've seen enough of your boring fantasies for a lifetime,' _

_'I feel guilty enough having these desires without his consent on the matter, let alone acting upon them...'_

_ 'Pfft... men. Even when they're trying to be decent, they're insufferable.' _

Dark had concluded that Damien was a little too prude, while Celine a little too forward in her thinking when it came to matters of intercourse. It was true that this relationship was new and fragile, and Dark didn't want to push any boundaries without knowing where they were. But it was also true that he hadn't overstepped any just yet, and he'd already managed to arouse Anti enough that it was starting to physically show.

What, truly, was the harm in coming to a compromise?

Dark knew for a fact that men loved to wake up to a morning blowjob.

Anti had begun to shift uncomfortably, trying desperately to find friction to soothe the growing ache in his groin. Dark simply couldn't have that. Somehow, the idea of soothing Anti's discomfort seemed to convince Damien to back off a little, or perhaps it was because he was paying too much attention to the way Anti's shirt hitched up on his midriff as Dark tossed the sheets aside.

Anti hissed a little at the cold, reaching out beside him in the place Dark had been mere moments before, trying to find his warmth again. Dark, pitying him, leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips, assuring him that the demon was still here. That served as a decent distraction from his upset, so Anti let go of the sheets, only to grab them in fistfuls once more when Dark shimmied down his boxers, pushing their clothing aside.

It was quite obvious that Anti had never done this before- in the way his body trembled as Dark's kisses littered his chest, his abdomen, his thighs... and yet, Dark could only feel eagerness and warmth radiating from his lover in waves at his actions. Anti had fists in Dark's hair, pushing him further subconsciously, forcing himself down Dark's throat- and the demon loved every moment of it.

Even asleep, Anti was courageous enough to do what Dark's previous sexual partners never would... sometimes, he felt, Dark liked to let go of his control for a while. He may not have liked being bruised up and maimed during sex, but he was no porcelain doll- he only found himself growing more aroused with the soft manhandling Anti was doing to him...

He didn't pull away, not until Anti's little huffs and sighs of pleasure turned into unashamedly loud curses, his muscles clenched and his toes practically curling at the stimulation. Dark didn't move from his spot until he slipped from Anti's sex and looked up at the flushed and satisfied face of his lover- with excess, warm fluid dribbling from the side of his mouth...

Anti stared down at him with half-lidded, blissed-out eyes. He looked as though he didn't know where to start...

"Good morning," Dark greeted after swallowing and clearing his throat, his voice a little gravelly.

"It certainly is..." Anti breathed, sitting up and crossing his legs, still wet with saliva, pooling on the already ruined sheets. "What... what was that for?"

Dark pulled Anti closer to him, kissing him sweetly and swelling with a content, happy feeling that Damien called love when Anti kissed him back.

"I wanted to help you," Dark smiled, feeling the heat from Anti's cheeks cause a rise in his own libido, but ignoring it in favour of enjoying this embrace. "You were a little frustrated,"

Anti snorted in embarrassment, but kissed Dark again all the same.

"I loved it... thank you,"

"My pleasure," Dark smirked once more. "Was it... alright? I mean, was it too soon, or-?"

"Shh," Anti interrupted, blinking some sleep from his eyes. "It's too early for this conversation shit, just let me cuddle you..."

And so Dark was quiet, patient as Anti sat upon his lap, giving him open mouthed kisses that brought dashes of deep gray to his own cheeks. Dark's trousers felt painfully restricted, but he didn't want to assume Anti would take this further than it had already gone. They'd already crossed a milestone today that Dark felt was important, and he didn't necessarily need his impulsive actions to be returned.

Anti broke the chain of kisses, cautiously bringing his palm to Dark's crotch and rubbing softly. "Can I...?"

"Anti..." Dark gasped aloud, holding the glitch's hand to stop him from making it harder for Dark to say no. "You don't have to-"

"I  _want_  to," Anti pouted, using his other hand to brush Dark's away. He applied a little more pressure, feeling Dark's bulge growing steadily in his ever tightening pants. "Don't you trust me?"

"Oh, darling, of course I trust you," Dark whispered, though his body was urging him to groan aloud at the pleasure. "I just don't want you to feel like you have to return my favour-"

" _Darky_ ," Anti sighed, unbuttoning Dark's trousers. "You need to learn that I want you just as much as you want me, maybe even more... Please, I  _want_ to do this..."

How could Dark say no to those eyes?

He shut his mouth and let Anti push him back onto the bed, trousers already shoved aside as Anti tore away Dark's undergarments, wasting no time sinking to his hands and knees and kissing up Dark's thighs.

Dark could get used to mornings like this.

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

"When will Google's new arm be ready?" Chase asked, feeling Bing's smooth synthetic skin beneath his own as the couple laid on the sofa, waiting for someone to rouse them from their place of comfort.

Bing's eyes flashed green, a welcome, if slightly unsettling change. Chase had loved his golden eyes, but these new green irises were even more pretty than Bing's old ones, and the ego never failed to remind him of this whenever he remembered them.

"I've downloaded 47% of his maintenance checklist to my hard drive," Bing spoke, fingers getting lost in Chase's hair. "Once the download is complete, it should give me everything I need to help him get back on his feet. His system is completely different from mine, unfortunately..."

"Hey, you're doing your best," Chase argued, poking Bing's nose with his pointer finger. "It's really good that you're trying to help him, especially after everything he did,"

"I have to admit, I uh..." Bing started, biting his lip. It was a habit he'd picked up from Chase when he was nervous, and he'd somehow integrated it into his primary response system, along with several other incompatible gestures and emotions that he ignored the warnings for. "I didn't want to let him live. Not after what he did to you,"

Chase swallowed nervously. In the weeks it had been since Google attacked him, his throat had healed up just fine, and he was as good as new. It may have had something to do with his sudden acceptance of his past, and his resulting productive and happy mood that he'd managed to bounce back so quickly.

"I know," Chase sighed, resting his chin on Bing's chest. "If he'd hurt you, I'd have been upset as well..."

"Yeah," Bing said, though he still looked somewhat ashamed. "Totally."

Chase snuggled in further, until their noses were touching just barely. "Can I kiss you?"

Bing leaned up, pressing his lips to Chase's and awaiting Chase's next move. Sometimes, the ego wanted to keep it short and sweet, and others, he went straight for tongue. This time, the kiss was soft and chaste, and they broke apart within moments.

"You know, you don't need to ask permission," Bing said, still reeling from the sensation of being kissed as if it was the first time all over again. Their real first kiss hadn't registered properly in his system, as his somatosensory system had been down and he hadn't felt a thing. Since then, his body had been resetting his knowledge automatically to nothing so that each kiss was just as magical as the first to make up for it.

Chase snorted softly. "I know, I just... I'm having a hard time adjusting to the fact that you're my boyfriend now,"

"What? Why?" Bing laughed, and Chase grinned as he pressed their foreheads together again.

"Because I spent so long thinking you'd never love me back," Chase admitted honestly. "I just... I dunno, gave up on it. I guess old habits really do die hard, huh?"

"Apparently so," Bing mused. "Well, Chase. Can I kiss you?"

Chase snickered into Bing's chest. "Now you're just making fun of me,"

"No, you do that on your own, brofriend,"

Chase fixed him with wide eyes. "Did... did you just?"

"Yep."

"Oh, we are such a cringey couple," Chase snorted.

Bing shrugged. "We're cringey people. And you never answered my question, dude,"

Chase rolled his eyes, shimmying forward and pressing his lips to Bing's, this time deepening the kiss just enough to make Google, who was sitting immobile in the corner, shift uncomfortably.

Google had lost everything, he felt. His pride. His dignity. His arm. Just to name a few, of course.

He was forced to sit here and observe the very people who had broken him as they enjoyed their new life together, kissing and touching and holding each other close. Google hadn't ever wanted something like this before, but watching both Chase and his android brother... he didn't know what to believe. He'd thought he was expendable- of course, he was. So was everyone in this Void, as they all returned sooner or later no matter how they died. The fact that Chase was now refusing to end Google's life, that he was trying to nurse Google back to health when he didn't truly have health to begin with... it was damaging his psyche in ways he thought he'd fortified against. If he really was cared for, loved, treated with ethics like the ones people used on each other, then how different was Google really from the other egos?

Google had spent his entire life believing that he was just a machine- a tool, an object. Even his supposed second objective had been preset, given to him by someone he could only hope to match in human qualities. He'd never wanted to feel human before. He  _despised_  human emotions- but  _why_? Was it really his choice, or was it some message in his code that activated whenever he was subjected to human-like features?

 _Keep quiet, Google_ , his computerised brain told him.  _You're a machine, you're better than them_ because _you aren't hindered by such things as friendship, and love, and emotion_.

But how was he supposed to be better than those who surrounded him now? There was Bing, an efficient enough android who could experience both love and indifference without his system self destructing and restarting. Dark, a powerful demon who Google couldn't match in any field. People like Marvin, Yan, Anti and even Squirrels, who could all find other things to occupy their lonesome time than simply running several maintenance checks within the same hour, waiting for instruction.

Google felt... lonely. And this loneliness was certainly not newly developed.

Before he could really expand on this new discovery, he became aware of a figure, falling into one of the seats from seemingly thin air. Unable to speak as his voice box was removed, he could only watch as the figure stood, looking around.

"Vhere am I? Ach, I must have died... hmm, es ist sehr quiet hier... Chase? Is zat you?"

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

"Are you nervous?"

"I... a little," Bim answered, holding King's hand in his own. The touch felt awkward, forced, and uncomfortable, but Bim was determined to soldier through it. He was lucky that King had even agreed to do this for him, knowing that his strange friend often didn't approve of his ideas. But this one, King had reluctantly let come to fruition.

"Don't be," King said, grip tightening on Bim's hand. "We're meant to be dating, right? You're meant to be comfortable with me,"

"I know..." Bim sighed, putting his brave face on and opening the door. He knew that Wilford would be behind it, along with some of the other Ipliers and their respective Septiceye boyfriends, and somehow knowing that he'd be lying to their faces caused him anxiety like he'd never experienced before. This entire charade was designed so that Wilford would think twice about using Bim as his sex object, but they'd have to tell everyone they were together or Wilford wouldn't be fooled.

That opened the window to a lot of questions, teasing, expectations that Bim didn't know if he was ready for. He squeezed King's hand again for comfort as the first pair of eyes flickered up, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Hey..." Bim said, causing all of the egos present to look up at the nervous 'couple'. There was JJ, Wilford, Dark and Anti, Marvin, and Silver Shepherd, all giving the two of them strange looks. Something definitely seemed amiss.

"Trimmer," Dark acknowledged, though a piercing look in his blue eyes told Bim that the demon wasn't fooled by his attempt. Bim desperately hoped he wouldn't call them out as Marvin spoke up from the other side of the room.

"What, are you two fucking now?"

Bim felt his throat tighten, about to run out in tears, but King stood his ground.

"Is that really your business?"

Dark nodded appreciatively, seeming to have decided to keep the news about the fake relationship to himself. Bim found himself ever grateful to the demon, who currently had Anti sitting in his lap, his arms around Anti's waist as the glitch stared at them curiously. Bim wagered that Anti wasn't fooled either, but trusted him enough, considering he was with Dark now. Anti mustn't have been so bad if Dark kept him around, right?

"Remember the second rule, Marvin," Dark spoke, and Marvin reluctantly backed off to resume his sulking. Bim supposed he shouldn't be so harsh on the magician- after all, Yan still had yet to return, and Marvin simply hadn't been able to talk to the others while Yan had actually been around. He supposed that if he had a possessive boyfriend like that, he'd feel defensive and provocative around others, too.

Dark met his eyes, and Bim could have sworn he saw them shine with mischief. "Congratulations, you two."

"Wait, you really  _are_ fucking?"

"Silver!" King scolded as Bim turned even redder. This was going the opposite of the way he'd wanted it to, and they'd barely just begun. He was going to look at Silver's reaction, but he only had eyes for Wilford. Surprisingly, the man didn't even seem hurt- in fact, he'd gone right back to talking to Jameson, who was sitting beside him with a worried look in his eyes. Somehow, this made Bim's blood boil, and he took King outside without another word, ignoring the confused expressions of the other egos as they left the room.

"Sorry, was that too much?" King asked worriedly, but Bim shook his head.

"No, you were fine, it's just- Wilford didn't even react!"

King pondered briefly, before asking a very important, yet daring question.

"Do you... have feelings for him at all?"

"No, of course not!" Bim cried defensively. King raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Oh dear Lord, you do..."

"N-no, I don't... I really don't, I swear." Bim said forcefully, not knowing if he was trying to convince King or himself of the matter.

"Then why do you care that he isn't hurt at all?" King asked. "Shouldn't you be relieved?"

Bim took a few shaky breaths. "Was I... was I just nothing to him? Did I m-mean anything?"

"You mean something to  _me_ ," King argued. "Look, Bim, you're pretty much the only one here who gives me the time of day, I hate it when you're upset, but... if I'm going to help you through this, I need to know for sure that you don't secretly want him back."

Bim took a shaky, shuddering breath. "I... O-okay, sure... I don't... I don't want him. At all."

King knew he was lying. He knew that something within Bim was scared of losing Wilford, no matter how unhealthy their relationship was, and it hurt him that he couldn't do anything to fix it. It was Bim's problem, and eventually, Bim would have to face it. King could only be there for him when the emotional weight finally crushed him, ready to help him pick up the pieces.

"Come on, boyfriend," King said, leading Bim by the hand into the lounge, where Bing and Chase had retired to earlier. "We've got more people to- wait, is that Schneep?!"

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

Dr. Iplier was nervous as he waited outside the room, having been told by everyone that cared that his lover was back, asking for him. He'd heard the commotion caused by Henrik's brothers and his fellow Ipliers alike from his office, and had to stop himself from racing there to hug and kiss him before everyone else got to him first.

No, if this plan was going to work at all, he needed to be patient.

He wondered worriedly if he should have summoned a ring, if he should have written a speech, if he should have done  _something_  to make this special, but rings were worthless in this Void where they could simply be summoned at will, and he'd tried several times to put his thoughts on paper, only to scrap them by the end. They just didn't sound genuine when he read them aloud, and he felt like he was writing a medical report or essay, not a proclamation of love and devotion.

But now, knowing Henrik was just downstairs,  _waiting for him-_ that was enough to cause him to panic, to rethink his entire decision, to consider putting it off for another few years, because there was  _no way_  Henrik would want to marry such an unorganised fool.

And even if he did- surely this was too sudden! They'd only been together for a little over a year, and while that was longer than the other couples, it still wasn't nearly enough to make a life changing decision over, right?

Sure, Chase thought it was perfectly fine- but Dr. Iplier had it on the ego's own admission that Chase had proposed to Stacy about two months into their pregnancy when she was in no position to refuse, and there was nothing keeping Henrik tied down in their relationship like the expectation of a child!

He found himself pacing in his room, hyperventilating, his head spinning and his cheeks flushing, barely hearing the sound of knocking on his office door.

Thankfully, Chase let himself in, immediately going to Dr. Iplier's side and holding him still in place. Dr. Iplier was quite grateful- if he'd kept this up, he might have fainted, and this was hardly the best time in the last three weeks for his death to finally come.

"Come on Doc, you'll be fine," Chase tried to soothe him, but the doctor still felt hopeless.

"He's going to say no..."

"No, he won't do that,"

"He'll hate me!"

"He would never,"

"He'll never speak to me again-"

"Dear God, man, calm down," Chase urged. "He's asking for you, it's the perfect time to let him know how much you love him,"

"But what if he doesn't want to marry me?" Dr. Iplier asked, breaths shaky and far between.

"It's not about what he wants," Chase said, rolling his eyes. "It's about what  _you_  want. And you want to let him know that he could die a thousand times and you'd still love him through it, right? You want to let him know that this relationship is worth something special to you, right? Come on, Doc, you've got this,"

"I..."

"Breathe deep and slow, Doc," Chase said, patting the doctor's back. "Come on, I can't wait to have a brother in law,"

Dr. Iplier let out a half hearted laugh, slowly getting to his feet. "I... you're sure?"

"I'm  _positive_ ," Chase said, helping him up. "And that's saying something,"

"It sure is..." Dr. Iplier sighed, stiffening up. "Do I look good?"

Chase snickered. "No, you're a mess. But he won't care."

Dr. Iplier swallowed, hardly finding Chase's words reassuring. "I..."

"Just get down there," Chase said, pushing him forcefully out of the room.

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

Henrik couldn't lie- he felt a little disheartened that his beloved boyfriend hadn't greeted him yet. Chase had gone to fetch him a little earlier, promising he'd be back soon, but there was no sign of either ego now, and it had been easily ten minutes. Did Iplier not wish to see him? Had something bad happened? Surely Dark must have known, but the demon was just sitting there smiling, a knowing glimmer in his eyes.

Before Henrik could ask about the strange all-knowing expression on Dark's face, he became aware of footsteps growing louder and turned in time to see Chase rushing back, a wide, triumphant grin plastered on his face.

Henrik felt his heart race a little faster in anticipation. "Is he coming?"

"You bet your ass he is," Chase returned, gesturing to the stairway, where Dr. Iplier was following behind him. The two doctors shared a glance, and suddenly, everything was alright. There was no animosity, no regret, only relief shared between them upon seeing that each other were alive and well.

"Doc!" Henrik called joyously, wasting no time in walking to his lover and crushing him in a desperate hug. He'd so dearly missed his touch and affection when they'd been in a sort of cold war just before Henrik had died, but neither cared to relive that agony, embracing each other like there was nobody else around and pushing the troubles of the past aside with a meaningful hug.

"Oh God, I've missed you so much," Dr. Iplier gasped between happy sobs, one hand cupping Henrik's cheek while the other stayed around his middle. holding the other doctor close to him.

"Und I as vell," Henrik returned, kissing him lovingly on the lips, letting his hands get lost in the folds of his lover's coat until they pulled away, suddenly aware that the room was full of other egos that might not want to see this.

Lips inches apart, breathing into each other's mouth, their eyes half lidded and their foreheads together, Henrik heard two words that would change his life forever.

"Marry me?"

Henrik did a double take, chuckling out an eloquent reply of "Vhat?"

Dr. Iplier's eyes widened. "Shit! Gah, I was meant to get down on one knee, and I had- I had a speech, but I- um, fuck, uh, forget that-"

"Doc," Henrik interrupted, placing his hand on his lover's shoulder and drawing him closer. His heart was pounding out of its chest, his head spinning, his body filling with adrenaline. "Did you... did you just ask me vhat I think you did?"

"I..." Dr. Iplier started, sighing in defeat. "... Yeah, I just..."

Henrik shut him up with a kiss, happiness flooding through him. "Dummkopf, of course I'll marry you,"

"Wait, really?" Dr. Iplier asked incredulously. "I don't- I don't even have a ring or anything, I- wow, I really fucked this up-"

Henrik snorted, resting his head on Doc's chest, holding him firmly around his middle.

"Rings vould get in ze vay, mein Schatz," Henrik dismissed. "Or should I say... mein Verlobter,"

"Oh my God, I can't believe you said yes..."

Dark cleared his throat, commanding the attention of everyone present. "Congratulations, doctors, I am ecstatic for you, but I have a query... how is it you plan on being wed? There isn't anyone here officially ordained, after all,"

The doctors shared a look, before dissolving into giggles. It seemed that the reality of what had just happened had finally hit them.

"It is ze thought zhat matters," Henrik grinned, holding Dr. Iplier tightly as if he'd never let go.

"We'll wait," Dr. Iplier answered, letting Henrik kiss him again, enjoying the rush of exhilaration that was still coursing through his veins. He felt truly unstoppable like this- to think, mere moments ago, he'd been worried about whether the love of his life would say yes to his proposal- now, they'd be planning the wedding!

"Told you he'd say yes," Chase smiled softly, his heart swelling with pride as he watched the two men who had been helping him through his chronic depression for months, finally experiencing the happiness they deserved.

"I didn't doubt it," Bing responded, snaking his arms around the older ego. "Maybe one day that'll be us, bro,"

Chase giggled, pressing back into Bing's chest and holding Bing's arms where they were. "You really think so, bro?"

"I do, bro," Bing grinned.

"Bro?"

"Bro."

**~0o0o0o0o0~**

Daniel couldn't help but feel that this wasn't fair. This wasn't how stories were meant to end- he'd gotten so close to finally avenging Blaze, but Dark had to arrive and see the glitch through his rose tinted glasses. How could he toss Daniel's motives aside like that? Daniel knew for a fact that if he ever found a way to kill Anti, Dark wouldn't rest until Daniel suffered the same fate, so why should things be any different now?

"You look like you've run into trouble,"

Daniel turned so fast he might have gotten whiplash, seeing a man around his height standing before him. He had curly brown hair and wore a butler's outfit, his eyes shining a bright blue in the eternal darkness. Daniel hadn't ever seen him before- but then, Daniel never saw anybody. All he knew was that he was in no state to calm himself if this strange man wanted to start trouble, and he considered hissing a warning before the man finally spoke again.

"Calm down, I don't bite. Unless you want me to, that is. I'm Benjamin, but most people call me Xyler these days,"

Daniel looked the man up and down.  **"** **Are you an ego?"**

Xyler shrugged. "I don't know. All I know is that I shouldn't be alive right now, and it's beginning to concern me. I was just wondering if you had any answers for me..."

Daniel shuddered.  **"L** **ook, if it's an explanation you're looking for, you're better off finding Dark and figuring it out from him. I can't come with you,"**

Xyler's eyes flashed dangerously. "Dark...? As in... oh. Oh  _no_ , he isn't  _here_ , is he?"

 **"Yeah, where else would he be?"** Daniel probed.

Xyler's eyes darkened. "I need to find him and bring him to the manor- something terrible has come to pass. Could you perhaps point me in the right direction? It is a matter of utmost importance,"

Daniel rolled his eyes and summoned an arrow- it was better than trying to point with his blackened arms.  **"** **That way, it's a huge house. Now leave before I decide you're not welcome in my presence,"**

Xyler took the demon's advice, running as fast as he could in the direction the arrow had been pointing. Yet still, no buildings were in sight. He was beginning to wonder if the demon had lied to him when he bumped into someone, knocking them to the ground.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, fuckwit!"

Xyler immediately knelt to try and help the fallen boy to his feet, noticing that he had bright blue hair and deep black eyes. Something about him seemed hauntingly familiar, though Xyler couldn't recall seeing him before. A name escaped him, but he didn't look away as the boy glowered up at him.

"I'm terribly sorry," Xyler offered, but the boy waved off the arm that extended his way.

"Don't give me that shit," the boy huffed. "Just leave me alone,"

Blank left Xyler standing there, holding up his middle finger as he retreated into the darkness. Momentarily forgetting why he was here, Xyler made to follow him, something about this person urging him to get closer to them.

Somewhere in the Groundlands, a man could be heard laughing as his name hit the headlines. Before long, he'd be back in the limelight. Before long, he'd make everyone who'd wronged him before his untimely death  _pay_.

He'd take down Dark, then the Colonel, then the grandchild that had started it all.

Markiplier grinned wickedly as he sauntered from the morgue, thirty eight stab wounds and all, ready to finally get his revenge.


End file.
